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THE  NOVELS 

OF 

CAPTAIN   MARRYAT 

EDITED    BY 

R.  BRIMLEY    JOHNSON 


This  Edition  of  Captain  Marryaf  s  Novels, 

made  exclusively  for  members  of  the 

NEW  YORK  YACHT  CLUB 

is  strictly  limited  to  one  hundred  copies. 


~~€z%£^<£U*f£s-£~V?4. 


Copy  No.   /  5 
PRINTED  FOR 
H.  A.  VAN  LIEW,  Esq. 


NEW  YORK  YACHT  CLUB  EDITION 


FRANK    MILDMAY 


OR 


THE    NAVAL    OFFICER 


BY 
CAPTAIN   MARRYAT 


NEW  YORK 

CROSCUP  AND   COMPANY 

MDCCCXCVI 


Contents 

PAGE 

Chapter  i         .             •             .             .             .             .           i 

Chapter  ii 

14 

Chapter  in       . 

s^ 

Chapter  iv 

47 

Chapter  v 

63 

Chapter  vi 

.      78 

Chapter  vh 

86 

Chapter  viii 

101 

Chapter  ix 

.       116 

Chapter  x 

129 

Chapter  xi 

140 

Chapter  xii 

156 

Chapter  xiii 

170 

Chapter  xiv 

180 

Chapter  xv 

200 

Chapter  xvi 

219 

Chapter  xvh 

.       231 

Chapter  xvhi 

250 

Chapter  xix 

263 

VI 


Contents 


Chapter  xx 

285 

Chapter  xxi 

303 

Chapter  xxii     , 

3J3 

Chapter  xxiii    . 

326 

Chapter  xxiv   . 

342 

Chapter  xxv     . 

359 

Chapter  xxvi    . 

368 

Chapter  xxvii  . 

.       382 

Chapter  xxviii  . 

•       39i 

Chapter  xxix    . 

402 

List  of  Etchings 


Despatched  me  with  a  Message  to  a  Ship  at  a  short 

distance     .....  Frontispiece 

PAGE 

Having    hired   a   Fool's  Dress,   I  mounted  that  very 

appropriate  Animal — a  Donkey      .  .  .        no 

Some  we  found  headed  up  in  Sugar-Hogsheads    .  .192 

I    flew    into    the    Sitting-room,    where    she    usually 

passed  her  Morning  .  .  .  .212 

She   contrived  to  pour  a  part   of    the    boiling   water 

into  the  Shoes  of  Sir  Hurricane  .  .       343 

I    upbraided    her   as    the    cause   of    my    unfortunate 

Situation  ......        382 

Drawn  and  Etched  by  D.  Murray  Smith. 


Prefatory  Note 


"  We  do  not  intend  to  review  our  own  work ;  if  we  did 
it  justice  we  might  be  accused  of  partiality,  and  we  are  not 
such  fools  as  to  abuse  it.  We  leave  that  to  our  literary 
friends  who  may  have  so  little  taste  as  not  to  appreciate  its 
merits.  Not  that  there  would  be  anything  novel  in  review- 
ing our  own  performances — that  we  have  discovered  since 
we  have  assumed  the  office  of  editor  ;  but  still  it  is  always 
done  sub  rosa,  whereas  in  our  position  we  could  not  deny  our 
situation  as  editor  and  author.  Of  Peter  Simple,  therefore, 
we  say  nothing,  but  we  take  this  opportunity  of  saying  a 
few  words  to  the  public.  .  .  .  The  Naval  Officer  was  our 
first  attempt,  and  its  having  been  our  first  attempt  must 
be  offered  in  extenuation  of  its  many  imperfections  ;  it  was 
written  hastily,  and  before  it  was  complete  we  were 
appointed  to  a  ship.  We  cared  much  about  our  ship  and 
little  about  our  book.  The  first  was  diligently  taken  care 
of  by  ourselves,  the  second  was  left  in  the  hands  of  others 
to  get  on  how  it  could.  Like  most  bantlings  put  out  to 
nurse,  it  did  not  get  on  very  well.  As  we  happen  to  be 
in  a  communicative  vein,  it  may  be  as  well  to  remark  that, 
being  written  in  the  autobiographical  style,  it  was  asserted 
by  friends,  and  believed  in  general,  that  it  was  a  history  of 
the  author's  life.  Now,  without  pretending  to  have  been 
better  than  we  should  have  been  in  our  earlier  days,  we 
do  most  solemnly  assure  the  public  that  had  we  run  the 
career  of  vice  of  the  hero  of  the  Naval  Officer,  at  all  events 
we  should  have  had  sufficient  sense  of  shame  not  to  have 
avowed  it.  Except  the  hero  and  heroine,  and  those  parts 
of  the  work  which  supply  the  slight  plot  of  it  as  a  novel, 
M  ix 


x  Prefatory  Note 

the  work  in  itself  is  materially  true,  especially  in  the 
narrative  of  sea  adventure,  most  of  which  did  (to  the  best 
of  our  recollection)  occur  to  the  author.  We  say  to  the 
best  of  our  recollection,  as  it  behoves  us  to  be  careful. 
We  have  not  forgotten  the  snare  in  which  Chamier  found 
himself  by  asserting  in  his  preface  that  his  narrative  was 
fact.  In  The  Naval  Officer  much  good  material  was  thrown 
away ;  but  we  intend  to  write  it  over  again  some  day  of 
these  days,  and  The  Naval  Officer,  when  corrected,  will  be 
so  improved  that  he  may  be  permitted  to  stand  on  the 
same  shelf  with  Pride  and  Prejudice  and  Sense  and  Sensi- 
bility.* 

"  The  confounded  licking  we  received  for  our  first 
attempts  in  the  critical  notices  is  probably  well  known  to 
the  reader — at  all  events  we  have  not  forgotten  it.  Now, 
with  some,  this  severe  castigation  of  their  first  offence 
would  have  had  the  effect  of  their  never  offending  again  j 
but  we  felt  that  our  punishment  was  rather  too  severe ;  it 
produced  indignation  instead  of  contrition,  and  we  deter- 
mined to  write  again  in  spite  of  all  the  critics  in  the 
universe ;  and  in  the  due  course  of  nine  months  we  pro- 
duced The  King's  Own.  In  The  Naval  Officer  we  had  sowed 
all  our  wild  oats ;  we  had  paid  off  those  who  had  ill- 
treated  us,  and  we  had  no  further  personality  to  indulge 
in.  The  Kings  Own,  therefore,  was  wholly  fictitious  in 
characters,  in  plot,  and  in  events,  as  have  been  its 
successors.  The  Kings  Own  was  followed  by  Newton 
Forster,  Newton  Forster  by  Peter  Simple.  These  are  all 
our  productions.     Reader,  we  have  told  our  tale." 

This  significant  document  was  published  by  Captain 
Marry  at  in  the  Metropolitan  Magazine  1 83  3,  of  which  he  was 
at  that  time  the  editor,  on  the  first  appearance  of  Peter  Simple, 
in  order,  among  other  things,  to  disclaim  the  authorship  of 
a  work  entitled  the  Port  Admiral,  which  contained  "  an 
infamous  libel  upon  one  of  our  most  distinguished  officers 
deceased,  and  upon  the  service  in  general."  It  repudiates, 
without   explaining  away,  certain   unpleasant   impressions 

*  The  improvement  was  never  made. — Ed. 


Prefatory  Note  xi 

that  even  the  careful  reader  of  to-day  cannot  entirely 
avoid.  Marryat  made  Frank  Mildmay  a  scamp,  I  am 
afraid,  in  order  to  prove  that  he  himself  had  not  stood 
for  the  portrait ;  but  he  clearly  did  not  recognise  the 
full  enormities  of  his  hero,  to  which  he  was  partially 
blinded  by  a  certain  share  thereof.  The  adventures  were 
admittedly  his  own,  they  were  easily  recognised,  and  he 
had  no  right  to  complain  of  being  confounded  with  the 
insolent  young  devil  to  whom  they  were  attributed.  It 
would,  however,  be  at  once  ungracious  and  unprofitable 
to  attempt  any  analysis  of  the  points  of  difference  and 
resemblance  ;  any  reader  will  detect  the  author's  failings  by 
his  work ;  other  coincidences  may  be  noticed  here. 

It  has  been  said,  in  the  general  introduction,  that 
Marryat's  cruises  in  the  Imperieuse  are  almost  literally 
described  in  Frank  Mildmay.  We  have  also  independent 
accounts  of  certain  personal  adventures  there  related. 

The  episode,  chap,  iv.,  of  being  bitten  by  a  skate — 
supposed  to  be  dead — which  is  used  again  in  Peter  Simple, 
came  from  Marryat's  own  experience  ;  and  he  declared 
that  he  ran  away  from  school  on  account  of  the  very 
indignity — that  of  being  compelled  to  wear  his  elder 
brother's  old  clothes — which  Frank  Mildmay  pleads  as  an 
excuse  for  sharing  at  least  the  sentiments  of  Cain. 
Marryat,  again,  was  trampled  upon  and  left  for  dead  when 
boarding  an  enemy  (see  chap,  v.)  ;  he  saved  the  midship- 
man who  had  bullied  him,  from  drowning,  though  his 
reflections  on  the  occasion  are  more  edifying  than  those 
recounted  in  chap.  v.  "  From  that  moment,"  he  says,  "  I 
have  loved  the  fellow  as  I  never  loved  friend  before.  All 
my  hate  is  forgotten.  I  have  saved  his  life."  The  defence 
of  the  castle  of  Rosas,  chap,  vii.,  is  taken  straight  from  his 
private  log-book ;  while  Marshall's  Naval  Biography 
contains  an  account  of  his  volunteering  during  a  gale  to 
cut  away  the  mainyard  of  the  Aeolus,  which  scarcely  pales 
before  the  vigorous  passage  in  chap.  xiv. : — 

"On  the  30th  of  September,  181 1,  in  lat.  400  50'  N.,  long. 
650  W.   (off  the  coast  of  New  England),  a  gale  of  wind  com- 


xii  Prefatory  Note 

menced  at  S.E.,  and  soon  blew  with  tremendous  fury;  the  Aeolus 
was  laid  on  her  beam  ends,  her  top-masts  and  mizen-masts  were 
literally  blown  away,  and  she  continued  in  this  extremely  perilous 
situation  for  at  least  half-an-hour.  Directions  were  given  to  cut 
away  the  main-yard,  in  order  to  save  the  main-mast  and  right  the 
ship,  but  so  great  was  the  danger  attending  such  an  operation  con- 
sidered, that  not  a  man  could  be  induced  to  attempt  it  until  Mr 
Marryat  led  the  way.  His  courageous  conduct  on  this  occasion 
excited  general  admiration,  and  was  highly  approved  of  by  Lord 
James  Townsend,  one  of  whose  company  he  also  saved  by  jump- 
ing overboard  at  sea." 


The  edition  of  1 87 3  contained  a  brief  memoir  of  the 
author,  by  "  Florence  Marryat,"  frequently  reprinted. 

Frank  Mildmay,  originally  called  The  Naval  Officer ;  or, 
Scenes  and  Adventures  in  the  Life  of  Frank  Mildmay,  is 
here  printed  from  the  first  edition  published  in  1829  by 
Henry  Colborn,  with  the  following  motto  on  the  title- 
page  :— 

My  muse  by  no  means  deals  in  fiction ; 

She  gathers  a  repertory  of  facts, 

Of  course  with  some  reserve  and  slight  restriction, 

But  mostly  traits  of  human  things  and  acts. 

Love,  war,  a  tempest — surely  there's  variety  ; 

Also  a  seasoning  slight  of  lubrication  ; 

A  bird's-eye  view,  too,  of  that  wild  society  ; 

A  slight  glance  thrown  on  men  of  every  station. 

Don  Juan, 

R.  B.  J. 


Frank  Mildmay 


Chapter  I 

These  are  the  errors,  and  these  are  the  fruits  of  misspending  our  prime 
youth  at  the  schools  and  universities,  as  we  do,  either  in  learning  mere 
words,  or  such  things  chiefly  as  were  better  unlearned — Milton. 

My  father  was  a  gentleman,  and  a  man  of  considerable 
property.  In  my  infancy  and  childhood  I  was  weak  and 
sickly,  but  the  favourite  of  my  parents  beyond  all  my 
brothers  and  sisters,  because  they  saw  that  my  mind  was 
far  superior  to  my  sickly  frame,  and  feared  they  should 
never  raise  me  to  manhood ;  contrary,  however,  to  their 
expectations,  I  surmounted  all  these  untoward  appearances, 
and  attracted  much  notice  from  my  liveliness,  quickness  of 
repartee,  and  impudence  :  qualities  which  have  been  of 
much  use  to  me  through  life. 

I  can  remember  that  I  was  both  a  coward  and  a  boaster; 
but  I  have  frequently  remarked  that  the  quality  which  we 
call  cowardice  in  a  child,  is  no  more  than  implying  a  greater 
sense  of  danger,  and  consequently  a  superior  intellect.  We 
are  all  naturally  cowards  :  education  and  observation  teach 
us  to  discriminate  between  real  and  apparent  danger  ;  pride 
teaches  the  concealment  of  fear,  and  habit  renders  us  indif- 
ferent to  that  from  which  we  have  often  escaped  with 
impunity.  It  is  related  of  the  Great  Frederick  that  he 
misbehaved  the  first  time  he  went  into  action  ;  and  it  is 
certain  that  a  novice  in  such  a  situation  can  no  more  com- 
mand  all   his    resources    than   a   boy   when   first    bound 

M  A 


2  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

apprentice  to  a  shoemaker  can  make  a  pair  of  shoes.  We 
must  learn  our  trade,  whether  it  be  to  stand  steady  before 
the  enemy,  or  to  stitch  a  boot ;  practice  alone  can  make  a 
Hoby  or  a  "Wellington. 

I  pass  on  to  my  school-days,  when  the  most  lasting  im- 
pressions are  made.  The  foundation  of  my  moral  and 
religious  instruction  had  been  laid  with  care  by  my  excel- 
lent parents  ;  but,  alas  !  from  the  time  I  quitted  the  paternal 
roof  not  one  stone  was  added  to  the  building,  and  even  the 
traces  of  what  existed  were  nearly  obliterated  by  the  deluge 
of  vice  which  threatened  soon  to  overwhelm  me.  Some- 
times, indeed,  I  feebly,  but  ineffectually  endeavoured  to 
stem  the  torrent ;  at  others,  I  suffered  myself  to  be  borne 
along  with  all  its  fatal  rapidity.  I  was  frank,  generous, 
quick,  and  mischievous  ;  and  I  must  admit  that  a  large  por- 
tion of  what  sailors  call  "  devil"  was  openly  displayed,  and 
a  much  larger  portion  latently  deposited  in  my  brain  and 
bosom.  My  ruling  passion,  even  in  this  early  stage  of  life, 
was  pride.  Lucifer  himself,  if  he  ever  was  seven  years  old, 
had  not  more.  If  I  have  gained  a  fair  name  in  the  service, 
if  I  have  led  instead  of  followed,  it  must  be  ascribed  to  this 
my  ruling  passion.  The  world  has  often  given  me 
credit  for  better  feelings,  as  the  source  of  action,  but 
I  am  not  writing  to  conceal,  and  the  truth  must  be 
told. 

I  was  sent  to  school  to  learn  Latin  and  Greek,  which 
there  are  various  ways  of  teaching.  Some  tutors  attempt 
the  suaviter  in  modo,  my  schoolmaster  preferred  the  for  titer 
in  re;  and,  as  the  boatswain  said,  by  the  "  instigation"  of 
a  large  knotted  stick,  he  drove  knowledge  into  our  skulls 
as  a  caulker  drives  oakum  into  the  seams  of  a  ship.  Under 
such  tuition,  we  made  astonishing  progress ;  and  whatever 
my  less  desirable  acquirements  may  have  been,  my  father 
had  no  cause  to  complain  of  my  deficiency  in  classic  lore. 
Superior  in  capacity  to  most  of  my  schoolfellows,  I  seldom 
took  the  pains  to  learn  my  lesson  previous  to  going  up  with 
my  class :  "  the  master's  blessing,"  as  we  called  it,  did 
occasionally  descend  on  my  devoted  head,  but  that  was  a 


The  Naval  Officer  3 

bagatelle ;  I  was  too  proud  not  to  keep  pace  with  my 
equals,  and  too  idle  to  do  more. 

Had  my  schoolmaster  being  a  single  man,  my  stay  under 
his  care  might  have  been  prolonged  to  my  advantage ;  but 
unfortunately,  both  for  him  and  for  me,  he  had  a  helpmate, 
and  her  peculiarly  unfortunate  disposition  was  the  means  of 
corrupting  those  morals  over  which  it  was  her  duty  to  have 
watched  with  the  most  assiduous  care.  Her  ruling  passions 
were  suspicion  and  avarice,  written  in  legible  characters  in 
her  piercing  eyes  and  sharp-pointed  nose.  She  never  sup- 
posed us  capable  of  telling  the  truth,  so  we  very  naturally 
never  gave  ourselves  the  trouble  to  cultivate  a  useless  virtue, 
and  seldom  resorted  to  it  unless  it  answered  our  purpose 
better  than  a  lie.  This  propensity  of  Mrs  Higginbottom 
converted  our  candour  and  honesty  into  deceit  and  fraud. 
Never  believed,  we  cared  little  about  the  accuracy  of  our 
assertions ;  half-starved,  through  her  meanness  and  parsi- 
mony, we  were  little  scrupulous  as  to  the  ways  and  means, 
provided  we  could  satisfy  our  hunger  ;  and  thus  we  soon 
became  as  great  adepts  in  the  elegant  accomplishments  of 
lying  and  thieving,  under  her  tuition,  as  we  did  in  Greek 
and  Latin  under  that  of  her  husband. 

A  large  orchard,  fields,  garden,  and  poultry-yard, 
attached  to  the  establishment,  were  under  the  care  and 
superintendence  of  the  mistress,  who  usually  selected  one 
of  the  boys  as  her  prime  minister  and  confidential  adviser. 
This  boy,  for  whose  education  his  parents  were  paying 
some  sixty  or  eighty  pounds  per  annum,  was  permitted  to 
pass  his  time  in  gathering  up  the  windfalls ;  in  watching 
the  hens,  and  bringing  in  their  eggs,  when  their  cackling 
throats  had  announced  their  safe  accouchement ;  looking 
after  the  broods  of  young  ducks  and  chickens,  et  hoc  genus 
omne;  in  short,  doing  the  duty  of  what  is  usually  termed 
the  odd  man  in  the  farmyard.  How  far  the  parents  would 
have  been  satisfied  with  this  arrangement,  I  leave  my 
readers  to  guess ;  but  to  us  who  preferred  the  manual  to 
mental  exertion,  exercise  to  restraint,  and  any  description 
of  cultivation  to  that  of  cultivating  the  mind,  it  suited 


4  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

extremely  well ;  and  accordingly  no  place  in  the  gift  of 
government  was  ever  the  object  of  such  solicitude  and 
intrigue,  as  was  to  us  schoolboys  the  situation  of  collector 
and  trustee  of  the  eggs  and  apples. 

I  had  the  good  fortune  to  be  early  selected  for  this 
important  post,  and  the  misfortune  to  lose  it  soon  after, 
owing  to  the  cunning  and  envy  of  my  schoolfellows  and 
the  suspicion  of  my  employers.  On  my  first  coming  into 
office,  I  had  formed  the  most  sincere  resolutions  of  honesty 
and  vigilance  ;  but  what  are  good  resolutions,  when  dis- 
couraged on  the  one  hand  by  the  revilings  of  suspicion, 
and  assailed  on  the  other  by  the  cravings  of  appetite  ? 
My  morning's  collection  was  exacted  from  me  to  the  very 
last  nut,  and  the  greedy  eyes  of  my  mistress  seemed  to 
inquire  for  more.  Suspected  when  innocent,  I  became 
guilty  out  of  revenge  ;  was  detected  and  dismissed.  A 
successor  was  appointed,  to  whom  I  surrendered  all  my 
offices  of  trust,  and  having  perfect  leisure,  I  made  it  my 
sole  business  to  supplant  him. 

It  was  an  axiom  in  mathematics  with  me  at  that  time, 
though  not  found  in  Euclid,  that  wherever  I  could  enter 
my  head,  my  whole  body  might  follow.  As  a  practical 
illustration  of  this  proposition,  I  applied  my  head  to  the 
arched  hole  of  the  hen-house  door,  and  by  scraping  away 
a  little  dirt,  contrived  to  gain  admittance,  and  very 
speedily  transferred  all  the  eggs  to  my  own  chest.  When 
the  new  purveyor  arrived,  he  found  nothing  but  "  a 
beggarly  account  of  empty  boxes  ; "  and  his  perambula- 
tions in  the  orchard  and  garden,  for  the  same  reason  were 
equally  fruitless.  The  pilferings  of  the  orchard  and 
garden  I  confiscated  as  droits  ;  but  when  I  had  collected  a 
sufficient  number  of  eggs  to  furnish  a  nest,  I  gave  informa- 
tion of  my  pretended  discovery  to  my  mistress,  who, 
thinking  she  had  not  changed  for  the  better,  dismissed  my 
successor,  and  received  me  into  favour  again.  I  was,  like 
many  greater  men,  immediately  reinstated  in  office  when  it 
was  discovered  that  they  could  not  do  without  me.  I 
once  more  became  chancellor  of  the  hen-roost  and  ranger 


The  Naval  Officer  5 

of  the  orchard,  with  greater  power  than  I  had  possessed 
before  my  disgrace.  Had  my  mistress  looked  half  as 
much  in  my  face  as  she  did  into  my  hatful  of  eggs,  she 
would  have  read  my  guilt ;  for  at  that  unsophisticated  age 
I  could  blush,  a  habit  long  since  discarded  in  the  course  of 
my  professional  duties. 

In  order  to  preserve  my  credit  and  my  situation,  I  no 
longer  contented  myself  with  windfalls,  but  assisted 
nature  in  her  labours,  and  greatly  lightened  the  burthen 
of  many  a  loaded  fruit-tree ;  by  these  means,  I  not  only 
gratified  the  avarice  of  my  mistress  at  her  own  expense, 
but  also  laid  by  a  store  for  my  own  use.  On  my  restora- 
tion to  office,  I  had  an  ample  fund  in  my  exchequer  to 
answer  all  present  demands ;  and  by  a  provident  and 
industrious  anticipation,  was  enabled  to  lull  the  suspicions 
of  my  employers,  and  to  bid  defiance  to  the  opposition. 
It  will  readily  be  supposed  that  a  lad  of  my  acuteness  did 
not  omit  any  technical  management  for  the  purpose  of 
disguise ;  the  fruits  which  I  presented  were  generally 
soiled  with  dirt  at  the  ends  of  the  stalks,  in  such  a  manner 
as  to  give  them  all  the  appearance  of  "feh  de  se?  i.e.  fell 
of  itself.  Thus,  in  the  course  of  a  few  months,  did  I 
become  an  adept  of  vice,  from  the  mismanagement  of 
those  into  whose  hands  I  was  intrusted  to  be  strengthened 
in  religion  and  virtue. 

Fortunately  for  me,  as  far  as  my  education  was  con- 
cerned, I  did  not  long  continue  to  hold  this  honourable 
and  lucrative  employment.  One  of  those  unhappy  beings 
called  an  usher  peeped  into  my  chest,  and  by  way  of 
acquiring  popularity  with  the  mistress  and  scholars,  forth- 
with denounced  me  to  the  higher  powers.  The  proofs  of 
my  peculation  were  too  glaring,  and  the  amount  too  serious 
to  be  passed  over;  I  was  tried,  convicted,  condemned, 
sentenced,  flogged,  and  dismissed  in  the  course  of  half-an- 
hour ;  and  such  was  the  degree  of  turpitude  attached  to 
me  on  this  occasion,  that  I  was  rendered  for  ever  incap- 
able of  serving  in  that  or  any  other  employment  connected 
with  the  garden  or  farm ;  I  was  placed  at  the  bottom  of 


6  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

the  list,  and  declared  to  be  the  worst  boy  in  the 
school. 

This  in  many  points  of  view  was  too  true  ;  but  there 
was  one  boy  who  bade  fair  to  rival  me  on  the  score  of 
delinquency  ;  this  was  Tom  Crauford,  who  from  that  day 
became  my  most  intimate  friend.  Tom  was  a  fine  spirited 
fellow,  up  to  everything ;  loved  mischief,  though  not 
vicious ;  and  was  ready  to  support  me  in  everything 
through  thick  and  thin ;  and  truly  I  found  him  sufficient 
employment.  I  threw  off  all  disguise,  laughed  at  any 
suggestion  of  reform,  which  I  considered  as  not  only 
useless,  but  certain  of  subjecting  me  to  ridicule  and  con- 
tempt among  my  associates.  I  therefore  adopted  the 
motto  of  some  great  man  "  to  be  rather  than  seem  to  be." 
I  led  in  every  danger  ;  declared  war  against  all  drivellers 
and  half- measures ;  stole  everything  that  was  eatable 
from  garden,  orchard,  or  hen-house,  knowing  full  well 
that  whether  I  did  so  or  not,  I  should  be  equally  suspected. 
Thenceforward  all  fruit  missed,  all  arrows  shot  into  pigs, 
all  stones  thrown  into  windows,  and  all  mud  spattered 
over  clean  linen  hung  out  to  dry,  were  traced  to  Tom 
and  myself;  and  with  the  usual  alacrity  of  an  arbitrary 
police,  the  space  between  apprehension  and  punishment 
was  very  short — we  were  constantly  brought  before  the 
master,  and  as  regularly  dismissed  with  "  his  blessing,'' 
till  we  became  hardened  to  blows  and  to  shame. 

Thus,  by  the  covetousness  of  this  woman,  who  was  the 
grey  mare,  and  the  folly  of  the  master,  who,  in  anything 
but  Greek  and  Latin,  was  an  ass,  my  good  principles  were 
nearly  eradicated  from  my  bosom,  and  in  their  place  were 
sown  seeds  which  very  shortly  produced  an  abundant 
harvest. 

There  was  a  boy  at  our  school  lately  imported  from 
the  East  Indies.  We  nick-named  him  Johnny  Pagoda. 
He  was  remarkable  for  nothing  but  ignorance,  impudence, 
great  personal  strength,  and,  as  we  thought,  determined 
resolution.  He  was  about  nineteen  years  of  age.  One 
day   he    incurred    the    displeasure   of    the   master,    who, 


The  Naval  Officer  7 

enraged  at  his  want  of  comprehension  and  attention,  struck 
him  over  the  head  with  a  knotted  cane.  This  appeal, 
although  made  to  the  least  sensitive  part  of  his  frame, 
roused  the  indolent  Asiatic  from  his  usual  torpid  state. 
The  weapon,  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye,  was  snatched 
out  of  the  hand,  and  suspended  over  the  head  of  the 
astonished  pedagogue,  who,  seeing  the  tables  so  suddenly 
turned  against  him,  made  the  signal  for  assistance.  I 
clapped  my  hands,  shouted  "  Bravo  !  lay  on,  Johnny — 
go  it — you  have  done  it  now — you  may  as  well  be 
hanged  for  a  sheep  as  a  lamb ; "  but  the  ushers  began  to 
muster  round,  the  boy  hung  aloof,  and  Pagoda,  uncertain 
which  side  the  neutrals  would  take,  laid  down  his  arms, 
and  surrendered  at  discretion. 

Had  the  East-Indian  followed  up  his  act  by  the  applica- 
tion of  a  little  discipline  at  the  fountain-head,  it  is  more 
than  probable  that  a  popular  commotion,  not  unlike  that 
of  Mas '  Aniello  would  have  ensued  ;  but  the  time  was  not 
come :  the  Indian  showed  a  white  feather,  was  laughed 
at,  flogged,  and  sent  home  to  his  friends,  who  had  in- 
tended him  for  the  bar ;  but  foreseeing  that  he  might,  in 
the  course  of  events,  chance  to  cut  a  figure  on  the  wrong 
side  of  it,  sent  him  to  sea,  where  his  valour,  if  he  had 
any,  would  find  more  profitable  employment. 

This  unsuccessful  attempt  of  the  young  Oriental,  was 
the  primary  cause  of  all  my  fame  and  celebrity  in  after- 
life. I  had  always  hated  school ;  and  this,  of  all  others, 
seemed  to  me  the  most  hateful.  The  emancipation  of 
Johnny  Pagoda  convinced  me  that  my  deliverance  might 
be  effected  in  a  similar  manner.  The  train  was  laid,  and 
a  spark  set  it  on  fire.  This  spark  was  supplied  by  the 
folly  and  vanity  of  a  fat  French  dancing-master.  These 
Frenchmen  are  ever  at  the  bottom  of  mischief.  Mrs 
Higginbottom,  the  master's  wife,  had  denounced  me  to 
Monsieur  Aristide  Maugrebleu  as  a  mauvais  sujet ;  and 
as  he  was  a  creature  of  hers,  he  frequently  annoyed  me 
to  gratify  his  patroness.  This  fellow  was  at  that  time 
about  forty-five  years  of  age,  and  had  much  more  experi- 


8  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

ence  than  agility,  having  greatly  increased  his  bulk  by 
the  roast  beef  and  ale  of  England.  While  he  taught  us 
the  rigadoons  of  his  own  country,  his  vanity  induced  him 
to  attempt  feats  much  above  the  cumbrous  weight  of  his 
frame.  I  entered  the  lists  with  him,  beat  him  at  his  own 
trade,  and  he  beat  me  with  his  fiddle-stick,  which  broke 
in  two  over  my  head ;  then,  making  one  more  glorious 
effort  to  show  that  he  would  not  be  outdone,  snapped  the 
tendon  Achilles,  and  down  he  fell,  hors  de  combat  as  a 
dancing-master.  He  was  taken  away  in  his  gig  to  be 
cured,  and  I  was  taken  into  the  school-room  to  be  flogged. 

This  I  thought  so  unjust  that  I  ran  away.  Tom 
Crauford  helped  me  to  scale  the  wall ;  and  when  he 
supposed  I  had  got  far  enough  to  be  out  of  danger  from 
pursuit,  went  and  gave  information,  to  avoid  the  suspicion 
of  having  aided  and  abetted.  After  running  a  mile,  to 
use  a  sea  phrase,  I  hove  to,  and  began  to  compose,  in 
my  mind,  an  oration  which  I  intended  to  pronounce  before 
my  father,  by  way  of  apology  for  my  sudden  and  un- 
expected appearance ;  but  I  was  interrupted  by  the 
detested  usher  and  half  a  dozen  of  the  senior  boys, 
among  whom  was  Tom  Crauford.  Coming  behind  me 
as  I  sat  on  a  stile,  they  cut  short  my  meditations  by  a 
tap  on  the  shoulder,  collared  and  marched  me  to  the 
right  about  in  double  quick  time.  Tom  Crauford  was 
one  of  those  who  held  me,  and  outdid  himself  in  zealous 
invective  at  my  base  ingratitude  in  absconding  from  the 
best  of  masters,  and  the  most  affectionate,  tender,  and 
motherly  of  all  school-dames. 

The  usher  swallowed  all  this,  and  I  soon  made  him 
swallow  a  great  deal  more.  We  passed  near  the  side  of 
a  pond,  the  shoals  and  depths  of  which  were  well  known 
to  me.  I  looked  at  Tom  out  of  the  corner  of  my  eye, 
and  motioned  him  to  let  me  go ;  and,  like  a  mackerel  out 
of  a  fisherman's  hand,  I  darted  into  the  water,  got  up  to 
my  middle,  and  then  very  coolly,  for  it  was  November, 
turned  round  to  gaze  at  my  escort,  who  stood  at  bay, 
and  looked  very  much  like  fools.     The  usher,  like  a  low 


The  Naval  Officer  9 

bred  cur,  when  he  could  no  longer  bully,  began  to  fawn ; 
he  entreated  and  he  implored  me  to  think  on  "my  papa 
and  mamma ;  how  miserable  they  would  be,  if  they  could 
but  see  me  ;  what  an  increase  of  punishment  I  was  bringing 
on  myself  by  such  obstinacy."  He  held  out  by  turns 
coaxes  and  threats ;  in  short,  everything  but  an  amnesty, 
to  which  I  considered  myself  entitled,  having  been  driven 
to  rebellion  by  the  most  cruel  persecution. 

Argument  having  failed,  and  there  being  no  volunteers 
to  come  in  and  fetch  me  out  of  the  water,  the  poor  usher, 
much  against  his  inclination,  was  compelled  to  undertake 
it.  With  shoes  and  stockings  off,  and  trousers  tucked  up, 
he  ventured  one  foot  into  the  water,  then  the  other ;  a 
cold  shiver  reached  his  teeth,  and  made  them  chatter ; 
but,  at  length,  with  cautious  tread  he  advanced  towards 
me.  Being  once  in  the  water,  a  step  or  two  farther  was 
no  object  to  me,  particularly  as  I  knew  I  could  but  be 
well  flogged  after  all,  and  I  was  quite  sure  of  that,  at 
all  events,  so  I  determined  to  have  my  revenge  and  amuse- 
ment. Stepping  back,  he  followed,  and  suddenly  fell 
over  head  and  ears  into  a  hole,  as  he  made  a  reach  at  me. 
I  was  already  out  of  my  depth,  and  could  swim  like  a 
duck,  and  as  soon  as  he  came  up,  I  perched  my  knees  on 
his  shoulders  and  my  hands  on  his  head,  and  sent  him 
souse  under  a  second  time,  keeping  him  there  until  he 
had  drunk  more  water  than  any  horse  that  ever  came  to 
the  pond.  I  then  allowed  him  to  wallow  out  the  best 
way  he  could ;  and  as  it  was  very  cold,  I  listened  to  the 
entreaties  of  Tom  and  the  boys  who  stood  by,  cracking 
their  sides  with  laughter  at  the  poor  usher's  helpless 
misery. 

Having  had  my  frolic,  I  came  out,  and  voluntarily 
surrendered  myself  to  my  enemies,  from  whom  I  received 
the  same  mercy,  in  proportion,  that  a  Russian  does  from 
a  Turk.  Dripping  wet,  cold,  and  covered  with  mud,  I 
was  first  shown  to  the  boys  as  an  aggregate  of  all  that 
was  bad  in  nature ;  a  lecture  was  read  to  them  on  the 
enormity  of  my  offence,  and  solemn  denunciations  of  my 


io  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

future  destiny  closed  the  discourse.  The  shivering  fit 
produced  by  the  cold  bath  was  relieved  by  as  sound  a 
flogging  as  could  be  inflicted,  while  two  ushers  held  me ; 
but  no  effort  of  theirs  could  elicit  one  groan  or  sob  from 
me ;  my  teeth  were  clenched  in  firm  determination  of 
revenge :  with  this  passion  my  bosom  glowed,  and  my 
brain  was  on  fire.  The  punishment,  though  dreadfully 
severe,  had  one  good  effect  —  it  restored  my  almost 
suspended  animation ;  and  I  strongly  recommend  the 
same  remedy  being  applied  to  all  young  ladies  and 
gentlemen  who,  from  disappointed  love  or  other  such 
trifling  causes,  throw  themselves  into  the  water.  Had 
the  miserable  usher  been  treated  after  this  prescription, 
he  might  have  escaped  a  cold  and  rheumatic  fever  which 
had  nearly  consigned  him  to  a  country  churchyard,  in  all 
probability  to  reappear  at  the  dissecting-room  of  St 
Bartholomew's  Hospital. 

About  this  time  Johnny  Pagoda,  who  had  been  two 
years  at  sea,  came  to  the  school  to  visit  his  brother  and 
schoolfellows.  I  pumped  this  fellow  to  tell  me  all  he 
knew :  he  never  tried  to  deceive  me,  or  to  make  a  convert. 
He  had  seen  enough  of  a  midshipman's  life,  to  know  that 
a  cockpit  was  not  paradise ;  but  he  gave  me  clear  and 
ready  answers  to  all  my  questions.  I  discovered  that 
there  was  no  schoolmaster  in  the  ship,  and  that  the 
midshipmen  were  allowed  a  pint  of  wine  a  day.  A 
man-of-war,  and  the  gallows,  they  say,  refuse  nothing; 
and  as  I  had  some  strong  presentiment  from  recent 
occurrences,  that  if  I  did  not  volunteer  for  the  one, 
I  should,  in  all  probability,  be  pressed  for  the  other, 
I  chose  the  lesser  evil  of  the  two ;  and  having  made 
up  my  mind  to  enter  the  glorious  profession,  I  shortly 
after  communicated  my  intention  to  my  parents. 

From  the  moment  I  had  come  to  this  determination, 
I  cared  not  what  crime  I  committed,  in  hopes  of  being 
expelled  from  the  school.  I  wrote  scurrilous  letters, 
headed  a  mutiny,  entered  into  a  league  with  the  other 
boys  to  sink,  burn  and  destroy,  and  do  all  the  mischief  we 


The  Naval  Officer  n 

could.  Tom  Crauford  had  the  master's  child  to  dry 
nurse  :  he  was  only  two  years  old  :  Tom  let  him  fall, 
not  intentionally,  but  the  poor  child  was  a  cripple  in 
consequence  of  it  for  life.  This  was  an  accident  which 
under  any  other  circumstances  we  should  have  deplored, 
but  to  us  it  was  almost  a  joke. 

The  cruel  treatment  I  had  received  from  these  people, 
had  so  demoralized  me,  that  those  passions, — which  under 
more  skilful  or  kinder  treatment,  had  either  not  been 
known,  or  would  have  lain  dormant,  were  roused  into  full 
and  malignant  activity  :  I  went  to  school  a  good-hearted 
boy,  I  left  it  a  savage.  The  accident  with  the  child 
occurred  two  days  before  the  commencement  of  the 
vacation,  and  we  were  all  dismissed  on  the  following  day 
in  consequence.  On  my  return  home  I  stated  verbally  to 
my  father  and  mother,  as  I  had  done  before  by  letter,  that 
I  was  resolved  to  go  to  sea.  My  mother  wept,  my  father 
expostulated.  I  gazed  with  apathy  on  the  one,  and  listened 
with  cold  indifference  to  the  reasoning  and  arguments  of 
the  other ;  a  choice  of  schools  was  offered  to  me,  where 
I  might  be  a  parlour  boarder,  and  I  was  to  finish  at  the 
University,  if  I  would  but  give  up  my  fatal  infatuation. 
Nothing,  however,  would  do ;  the  die  was  cast,  and  for 
the  sea  I  was  to  prepare. 

What  fool  was  it  who  said  that  the  happiest  times  of 
our  lives  is  passed  at  school  ?  There  may,  indeed,  be 
exceptions,  but  the  remark  cannot  be  generalized.  Stormy 
as  has  been  my  life,  the  most  miserable  part  of  it  (with 
very  little  exception)  was  passed  at  school ;  and  my  mind 
never  received  so  much  injury  from  any  scenes  of  vice  and 
excess  in  after-life,  as  it  did  from  the  shameful  treatment 
and  bad  example  I  met  with  there.  If  my  bosom  burned 
with  fiend-like  passions,  whose  fault  was  it  ?  How  had 
the  sacred  pledge,  given  by  the  master,  been  redeemed  ? 
Was  I  not  sacrificed  to  the  most  sordid  avarice,  in  the 
first  instance,  and  almost  flayed  alive  in  the  second,  to 
gratify  revenge  ?  Of  the  filthy  manner  in  which  our 
food  was  prepared,  I  can  only  say  that  the  bare  recollec- 


12  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

tion  of  it  excites  nausea  ;  and  to  this  hour,  bread  and  milk, 
suet  pudding,  and  shoulders  of  mutton,  are  objects  of  my 
deep-rooted  aversion.  The  conduct  of  the  ushers,  who 
were  either  tyrannical  extortioners,  or  partakers  in  our 
crimes — the  constant  loss  of  our  clothes  by  the  dishonesty 
or  carelessness  of  the  servants — the  purloining  our  silver 
spoons,  sheets,  and  towels,  when  we  went  away,  upon  the 
plea  of  "  custom  " — the  charges  in  the  account  for  windows 
which  I  had  never  broken,  and  books  which  I  had  never 
received — the  shameful  difference  between  the  annual  cost 
promised  by  the  master,  and  the  sum  actually  charged, 
ought  to  have  opened  the  eyes  of  my  father. 

I  am  aware  how  excellent  many  of  these  institutions  are, 
and  that  there  are  few  so  bad  as  the  one  I  was  sent  to. 
The  history  of  my  life  will  prove  of  what  vital  importance 
it  is  to  ascertain  the  character  of  the  master  and  mistress 
as  to  other  points  besides  teaching  Greek  and  Latin,  before 
a  child  is  intrusted  to  their  care.  I  ought  to  have  observed, 
that  during  my  stay  at  this  school,  I  had  made  some  pro- 
ficiency in  mathematics  and  algebra. 

My  father  had  procured  for  me  a  berth  on  board  a  fine 
frigate  at  Plymouth,  and  the  interval  between  my  nomina- 
tion and  joining  was  spent  by  my  parents  in  giving  advice 
to  me,  and  directions  to  the  several  tradesmen  respecting 
my  equipment.  The  large  chest,  the  sword,  the  cocked- 
hat,  the  half-boots,  were  all  ordered  in  succession  ;  and  the 
arrival  of  each  article  either  of  use  or  ornament  was  antici- 
pated by  me  with  a  degree  of  impatience  which  can  only 
be  compared  to  that  of  a  ship's  company  arrived  off  Den- 
nose  from  a  three  years'  station  in  India,  and  who  hope  to 
be  at  anchor  at  Spithead  before  sunset.  The  circumstance 
of  my  going  to  sea  affected  my  father  in  no  other  way 
than  it  interfered  with  his  domestic  comforts  by  the 
immoderate  grief  of  my  poor  mother.  In  any  other  point 
of  view  my  choice  of  profession  was  a  source  of  no  regret 
to  him.  I  had  an  elder  brother,  who  was  intended  to 
have  the  family  estates,  and  who  was  then  at  Oxford, 
receiving  an  education   suitable   to   his  rank  in  life,  and 


The  Naval  Officer 


13 


also  learning  how  to  spend  his  money  like  a  gentleman. 
Younger  brothers  are,  in  such  cases,  just  as  well  out  of 
the  way,  particularly  one  of  my  turbulent  disposition  : 
a  man-of-war,  therefore,  like  another  piece  of  thnber,  has  its 
uses.  My  father  paid  all  the  bills  with  great  philosophy, 
and  made  me  a  liberal  allowance  for  my  age. 

The  hour  of  departure  drew  near ;  my  chest  had  been 
sent  off  by  the  Plymouth  waggon,  and  a  hackney-coach 
drew  up  to  the  door,  to  convey  me  to  the  White  Horse 
Cellar.  The  letting  down  of  the  rattling  steps  completely 
overthrew  the  small  remains  of  fortitude  which  my  dearest 
mother  had  reserved  for  our  separation,  and  she  threw 
her  arms  around  my  neck  in  a  frenzy  of  grief.  I  beheld 
her  emotions  with  a  countenance  as  unmoved  as  the 
figure-head  of  a  ship ;  while  she  covered  my  stoic  face 
with  kisses,  and  washed  it  with  her  tears.  I  almost 
wondered  what  it  all  meant,  and  wished  the  scene  was 
over. 

My  father  helped  me  out  of  this  dilemma;  taking  me 
firmly  by  the  arm,  he  led  me  out  of  the  room :  my 
mother  sank  upon  the  sofa,  and  hid  her  face  in  her 
pocket-handkerchief.  I  walked  as  slowly  to  the  coach 
as  common  decency  would  permit.  My  father  looked  at 
me,  as  if  he  would  inquire  of  my  very  inward  soul 
whether  I  really  did  possess  human  feelings  ?  I  felt 
the  meaning  of  this,  even  in  my  then  tender  years  ;  and 
such  was  my  sense  of  propriety,  that  I  mustered  up  a  tear 
for  each  eye,  which,  I  hope,  answered  the  intended  pur- 
pose. We  say  at  sea,  "  When  you  have  no  decency, 
sham  a  little ; "  and  I  verily  believe  I  should  have  beheld 
my  poor  mother  in  her  coffin  with  less  regret  than  I  could 
have  foregone  the  gay  and  lovely  scenes  which  I  antici- 
pated. 

How  amply  has  this  want  of  feeling  towards  a  tender 
parent  been  recalled  to  my  mind,  and  severely  punished, 
in  the  events  of  my  vagrant  life  ! 


14  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

Chapter    II 

Injuries  may  be  atoned  for  and  forgiven  ;  but  insults  admit  of  no  compensa- 
tion. They  degrade  the  mind  in  its  own  esteem,  and  force  it  to  recover 
its  level  by  revenge. — Junius. 

There  are  certain  events  in  our  lives  poetically  and  beauti- 
fully described  by  Moore,  as  "  green  spots  in  memory's 
waste."  Such  are  the  emotions  arising  from  the  attain- 
ment, after  a  long  pursuit,  of  any  darling  object  of  love 
or  ambition ;  and  although  possession  and  subsequent 
events  may  have  proved  to  us  that  we  had  overrated  our 
enjoyment,  and  experience  have  shown  us  "  that  all  is 
vanity,"  still,  recollection  dwells  with  pleasure  upon  the 
beating  heart,  when  the  present  only  was  enjoyed,  and 
the  picture  painted  by  youthful  and  sanguine  anticipation 
in  glowing  and  delightful  colours.  Youth  only  can  feel 
this  ;  age  has  been  often  deceived — too  often  has  the  fruit 
turned  to  ashes  in  the  mouth.  The  old  look  forward  with 
a  distrust  and  doubt,  and  backward  with  sorrow  and 
regret. 

One  of  the  red-letter  days  of  my  life,  was  that  on 
which  I  first  mounted  the  uniform  of  a  midshipman.  My 
pride  and  ecstacy  were  beyond  description,  I  had  dis- 
carded the  school  and  school-boy  dress,  and,  with  them, 
my  almost  stagnant  existence.  Like  the  chrysalis  changed 
into  a  butterfly,  I  fluttered  about  as  if  to  try  my  powers  ; 
and  felt  myself  a  gay  and  beautiful  creature,  free  to  range 
over  the  wide  domains  of  nature,  clear  of  the  trammels  of 
parents  or  schoolmasters  ;  and  my  heart  bounded  within 
me  at  the  thoughts  of  being  left  to  enjoy  at  my  own  dis- 
cretion, the  very  acme  of  all  the  pleasure  that  human 
existence  could  afford  ;  and  I  observe  that  in  this,  as  in 
most  other  cases,  I  met  with  that  disappointment  which 
usually  attends  us.  True  it  is,  that  in  the  days  of  my 
youth,  I  did  enjoy  myself.  I  was  happy  for  a  time,  if 
happiness  it  could  be  called ;  but  dearly  have  I  paid  for 
it.     I  contracted  a  debt,  which  I  have  been  liquidating  by 


The  Naval  Officer  15 

instalments  ever  since  •,  nor  am  I  yet  emancipated.  Even 
the  small  portion  of  felicity  that  fell  to  my  lot  on  this 
memorable  morning  was  brief  in  duration,  and  speedily 
followed  by  chagrin. 

But  to  return  to  my  uniform.  I  had  arrayed  myself 
in  it ;  my  dirk  was  belted  round  my  waist ;  a  cocked-hat, 
of  an  enormous  size,  stuck  on  my  head ;  and,  being  per- 
fectly satisfied  with  my  own  appearance,  at  the  last  survey 
which  I  had  made  in  the  glass,  I  first  rang  for  the  chamber- 
maid, under  pretence  of  telling  her  to  make  my  room  tidy, 
but,  in  reality,  that  she  might  admire  and  compliment  me, 
which  she  very  wisely  did ;  and  I  was  fool  enough  to 
give  her  half  a  crown  and  a  kiss,  for  I  felt  myself  quite  a 
man.  The  waiter,  to  whom  the  chambermaid  had  in  all 
probability  communicated  the  circumstance,  presented 
himself,  and  having  made  a  low  bow,  offered  the  same 
compliments,  and  received  the  same  reward,  save  the  kiss. 
Boots  would,  in  all  probability,  have  come  in  for  his 
share,  had  he  been  in  the  way,  for  I  was  fool  enough  to 
receive  all  their  fine  speeches  as  if  they  were  my  due, 
and  to  pay  for  them  at  the  same  time  in  ready  money. 
I  was  a  gudgeon  and  they  were  sharks ;  and  more  sharks 
would  soon  have  been  about  me,  for  I  heard  them,  as  they 
left  the  room,  call  "  boots  "  and  "  ostler,"  of  course  to 
assist  in  lightening  my  purse. 

But  I  was  too  impatient  to  wait  on  my  captain  and  see 
my  ship — so  I  bounced  down  the  stairs,  and  in  the 
twinkling  of  an  eye,  was  on  my  way  to  Stonehouse,  where 
my  vanity  received  another  tribute,  by  a  raw  recruit  of 
marine  raising  his  hand  to  his  head,  as  he  passed  by  me. 
I  took  it  as  it  was  meant,  raised  my  hat  off  my  head,  and 
shuffled  by  with  much  self-importance.  One  consideration, 
I  own,  mortified  me — this  was  that  the  natives  did  not 
appear  to  admire  me  half  so  much  as  I  admired  myself. 
It  never  occurred  to  me  then,  that  middies  were  as  plentiful 
at  Plymouth  Dock,  as  black  boys  at  Port  Royal,  though, 
perhaps,  not  of  so  much  value  to  their  masters.  I  will 
not  shock  the  delicacy  of  my  fair  readers  by  repeating  all 


1 6  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

the  vulgar  alliterations  with  which  my  noviciate  was 
greeted,  as  I  passed  in  review  before  the  ladies  of  North 
Corner,  who  met  me  in  Fore  Street.  Unsophisticated  as 
I  then  was,  in  many  points,  and  certainly  in  this,  I  thought 
them  extremely  ill-bred.  Fortunately  for  me,  the  prayers 
of  a  certain  description  of  people  never  prevail,  otherwise 
I  should  have  been  immediately  consigned  to  a  place,  from 
which,  I  fear,  all  the  masses  of  France  and  Italy  would 
not  have  extricated  me. 

I  escaped  from  these  syrens  without  being  bound  to  the 
mast,  like  Ulysses ;  but,  like  him,  I  had  nearly  fallen  a 
victim  to  a  modern  Polyphemus  ;  for  though  he  had  not 
one  eye  in  the  middle  of  his  forehead,  after  the  manner  of 
his  prototype,  yet  the  rays  from  both  his  eyes  meeting 
together  at  the  tip  of  his  long  nose,  gave  him  very  much 
that  appearance.  Ignorance,  sheer  ignorance,  in  this,  as  in 
many  other  cases,  was  the  cause  of  my  disaster.  A  party 
of  officers,  in  full  uniform,  were  coming  from  a  court- 
martial.  "Oh  ho!  "  said  I,  "here  come  some  of  us."  I 
seized  my  dirk  in  my  left  hand,  as  I  saw  they  held  their 
swords,  and  I  stuck  my  right  hand  into  my  bosom  as  some 
of  them  had  done.  I  tried  to  imitate  their  erect  and 
officer-like  bearing  ;  I  put  my  cocked-hat  on  fore  and  aft, 
with  the  gold  rosette  dangling  between  my  two  eyes,  so 
that  in  looking  at  it,  which  I  could  not  help  doing,  I  must 
have  squinted.  And  I  held  my  nose  high  in  the  air,  like  a 
pig  in  a  hurricane,  fancying  myself  as  much  an  object  of 
admiration  to  them  as  I  was  to  myself.  "We  passed  on 
opposite  tacks,  and  our  respective  velocities  had  separated 
us  to  the  distance  of  twenty  or  thirty  yards,  when  one  of 
them  called  out  to  me  in  a  voice  evidently  cracked  in  His 
Majesty's  service — "  Hollo,  young  gentleman,  come  back 
here." 

I  concluded  I  was  going  to  be  complimented  on  the  cut 
of  my  coat,  to  be  asked  the  address  of  my  tailor,  and  to 
hear  the  rakish  sit  of  my  hat  admired.  I  now  began  to 
think  I  should  hear  a  contention  between  the  lords  of  the 
ocean,  as  to  who  should  have  me  as  a  sample  middy  on 


The  Naval  Officer  17 

their  quarter-decks ;  and  I  was  even  framing  an  excuse  to 
my  father's  friend  for  not  joining  his  ship.  Judge  then  of 
my  surprise  and  mortification,  when  I  was  thus  accosted  in 
an  angry  and  menacing  tone  by  the  oldest  of  the  officers — 

"  Pray,  sir,  what  ship  do  you  belong  to  ? " 

"  Sir,"  said  I,  proud  to  be  thus  interrogated,  "  I  belong 

to  His  Majesty's  ship,  the  Le "  (having,  a  French  name, 

I  clapped  on  both  the  French  and  English  articles,  as  being 
more  impressive). 

"  Oh,  you  do,  do  you  ?  "  said  the  veteran  with  an  air  of 
conscious  superiority  j  "  then  you  will  be  so  good  as  to 
turn  round,  go  down  to  Mutton  Cove,  take  a  boat,  and 
have  your  person  conveyed  with  all  possible  speed  on 
board  of  His  Majesty's  ship  the  Lee/'  (imitating  me)  ;  "  and 
tell  the  first  lieutenant  it  is  my  order  that  you  be  not 
allowed  any  more  leave  while  the  ship  is  in  port  j  and  I 
shall  tell  your  captain  he  must  teach  his  officers  better 
manners  than  to  pass  the  port-admiral  without  touching 
their  hats." 

While  this  harangue  was  going  on,  I  stood  in  a  circle, 
of  which  I  was  the  centre,  and  the  admiral  and  the 
captains  formed  the  circumference  •  what  little  air  there 
was  their  bodies  intercepted,  so  that  I  was  not  only  in  a 
stew,  but  stupefied  into  the  bargain. 

"  There,  sir,  you  hear  me — you  may  go." 

"  Yes,  I  do  hear  you,"  thinks  I ;  "  but  how  the  devil  am 
I  to  get  away  from  you  ?  "  for  the  cruel  captains,  like 
school-boys  round  a  rat-trap,  stood  so  close  that  I  could 
not  start.  Fortunately,  this  my  blockade,  which  they  no 
doubt  intended  for  their  amusement,  saved  me  for  that 
time.  I  recollected  myself,  and  said,  with  affected  sim- 
plicity of  manner,  that  I  had  that  morning  put  on  my 
uniform  for  the  first  time  ;  that  I  had  never  seen  my 
captain,  and  never  was  on  board  a  ship  in  all  my  life.  At 
this  explanation,  the  countenance  of  the  admiral  relaxed 
into  something  that  was  meant  for  a  smile,  and  the  cap- 
tains all  burst  into  a  loud  laugh. 

"Well,  young  man,"  said  the  admiral — who  was  really 

M  B 


1 8  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

a  good-tempered  fellow,  though  an  odd  one — "  well, 
young  man,  since  you  have  never  been  at  sea,  it  is  some 
excuse  for  not  knowing  good  manners ;  there  is  no 
necessity  now  for  delivering  my  message  to  the  first 
lieutenant,  but  you  may  go  on  board  your  ship." 

Having  seen  me  well-roasted,  the  captains  opened 
right  and  left,  and  let  me  pass.  As  I  left  them  I  heard 
one  say,  "  Just  caught — marks  of  the  dogs'  teeth  in  his 
heels,  I  warrant  you."  I  did  not  stop  to  make  any  reply, 
but  sneaked  away,  mortified  and  crest-fallen,  and  certainly 
obeyed  this  the  first  order  which  I  had  ever  received  in 
the  service,  with  more  exactness  than  I  ever  did  any 
subsequent  one. 

During  the  remainder  of  my  walk,  I  touched  my  hat  to 
every  one  I  met.  I  conferred  the  honour  of  a  salute  on 
midshipmen,  master's  mates,  sergeants  of  marines,  and  two 
corporals.  Nor  was  I  aware  of  my  over  complaisance, 
until  a  young  woman,  dressed  like  a  lady,  who  knew  more 
of  the  navy  than  I  did,  asked  me  if  I  had  come  down  to 
stand  for  the  borough  ?  Without  knowing  what  she 
meant,  I  replied,  "  No." 

"  I  thought  you  might,"  said  she,  "  seeing  you  are  so 
d — d  civil  to  everybody." 

Had  it  not  been  for  this  friendly  hint,  I  really  believe  J 
should  have  touched  my  hat  to  a  drummer. 

Having  gone  through  this  ordeal,  I  reached  the  inn  at 
Plymouth,  where  I  found  my  captain,  and  presented  my 
father's  letter.  He  surveyed  me  from  top  to  toe,  and 
desired  the  pleasure  of  my  company  to  dinner  at  six  o'clock. 
"  In  the  mean  time,"  he  said,  "  as  it  is  now  only  eleven, 
you  may  go  aboard,  and  show  yourself  to  Mr  Handstone, 
the  first  lieutenant,  who  will  cause  your  name  to  be  entered 
on  the  books,  and  allow  you  to  come  back  here  to  dine." 
I  bowed  and  retired.  And  on  my  way  to  Mutton  Cove 
was  saluted  by  the  females,  with  the  appellation  of  Royal 
Reefer  (midshipman),  and  a  Biscuit  Nibbler  ;  but  all  this 
I  neither  understood  nor  cared  for.  I  arrived  safely  at 
Mutton  Cove,  where  two  women,  seeing  my  inquiring  eye 


The  Naval  Officer 


l9 


and  span-new  dress,  asked  what  ship  they  should  take  "  my 
honour  "  to,  I  told  them  the  ship  I  wished  to  go  on  board  of. 

"  She  lays  under  the  Obelisk ,"  said  the  elder  woman, 
who  appeared  to  be  about  forty  years  of  age  j  "  and  we 
will  take  your  honour  off  for  a  shilling. 

I  agreed  to  this,  both  for  the  novelty  of  the  thing,  as 
well  as  on  account  of  my  natural  gallantry  and  love  of 
female  society.  The  elder  woman  was  mistress  of  her 
profession,  handling  her  scull  (oar)  with  great  dexterity ; 
but  Sally,  the  younger  one,  who  was  her  daughter,  was 
still  in  her  noviciate.  She  was  pretty,  cleanly  dressed, 
had  on  white  stockings,  and  sported  a  neat  foot  and  ankle. 

"  Take  care,  Sally,"  said  the  mother  ;  "  keep  stroke,  or 
you  will  catch  a  crab." 

"  Never  fear,  mother,"  said  the  confident  Sally  ;  and  at 
the  same  moment,  as  if  the  very  caution  against  the 
accident  was  the  cause  of  it,  the  blade  of  her  scull  did  not 
dip  into  the  water.  The  oar  meeting  no  resistance,  its 
loom,  or  handle,  came  back  upon  the  bosom  of  the 
unfortunate  Sally,  tipped  her  backwards — up  went  her 
heels  in  the  air,  and  down  fell  her  head  into  the  bottom  of 
the  boat.  As  she  was  pulling  the  stroke  oar,  her  feet 
almost  came  in  contact  with  the  rosette  of  my  cocked  hat. 

"  There  now,  Sally,"  said  the  wary  mother  ;  "  I  told 
you  how  it  would  be — I  knew  you  would  catch  a  crab  !  " 

Sally  quickly  recovered  herself,  blushed  a  little,  and 
resumed  her  occupation. 

"  That's  what  we  calls  catching  a  crab  in  our  country," 
said  the  woman.  I  replied  that  I  thought  it  was  a  very 
pretty  amusement ;  and  I  asked  Sally  to  try  and  catch 
another ;  but  she  declined ;  and,  by  this  time,  we  had 
reached  the  side  of  the  ship. 

Having  paid  my  naiads,  I  took  hold  of  the  man-rope,  as 
I  was  instructed  by  them,  and  mounted  the  side.  Reaching 
the  gangway,  I  was  accosted  by  a  midshipman  in  a  round 
jacket  and  trousers,  a  shirt  none  of  the  cleanest,  and  a 
black  silk  handkerchief  tied  loosely  round  his  neck. 

"  Who  did  you  want,  sir  ?  "  said  he. 


2o  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 


iC 


I  wish  to  speak  with  Mr  Handstone,  the  first  lieu- 
tenant," said  I.  He  informed  me  that  the  first  lieutenant 
was  then  gone  down  to  frank  the  letters,  and,  when  he 
came  on  deck,  he  would  acquaint  him  with  my  being 
there. 

After  this  dialogue,  I  was  left  on  the  larboard  side  of 
the  quarter-deck  to  my  own  meditations.  The  ship  was 
at  this  time  refitting,  and  was  what  is  usually  called  in  the 
hands  of  the  dockyard,  and  a  sweet  mess  she  was  in. 
The  quarter-deck  carronades  were  run  fore  and  aft ;  the 
slides  unbolted  from  the  side,  the  decks  were  covered 
with  pitch  fresh  poured  into  the  seams,  and  the  caulkers 
were  sitting  on  their  boxes,  ready  to  renew  their  noisy 
labours  as  soon  as  the  dinner-hour  had  expired.  The 
middies,  meanwhile,  on  the  starboard  side  of  the  quarter- 
deck, were  taking  my  altitude,  and  speculating  as  to 
whether  I  was  to  be  a  messmate  of  theirs,  and  what  sort 
of  a  chap  I  might  chance  to  be — both  these  points  were 
solved  very  speedily. 

The  first  lieutenant  came  on  deck  ;  the  midshipman  of 
the  watch  presented  me,  and  I  presented  my  name  and  the 
captain's  message. 

"It  is  all  right,  sir,"  said  Mr  Handstone.  "  Here,  Mr 
Flyblock,  do  you  take  this  young  gentleman  into  your 
mess ;  you  may  show  him  below  as  soon  as  you  please, 
and  tell  him  where  to  hang  his  hammock  up." 

I  followed  my  new  friend  down  the  ladder,  under  the 
half  deck,  where  sat  a  woman,  selling  bread  and  butter 
and  red  herrings  to  the  sailors  ;  she  had  also  cherries  and 
clotted  cream,  and  a  cask  of  strong  beer,  which  seemed  to 
be  in  great  demand.  We  passed  her,  and  descended 
another  ladder,  which  brought  us  to  the  'tween-decks, 
and  into  the  steerage,  in  the  forepart  of  which,  on  the 
larboard  side,  abreast  of  the  mainmast,  was  my  future 
residence — a  small  hole,  which  they  called  a  berth ;  it  was 
ten  feet  long  by  six,  and  about  five  feet  four  inches  high  ; 
a  small  aperture,  about  nine  inches  square,  admitted  a  very 
scanty  portion  of  that  which  we  most  needed,  namely, 


The  Naval  Officer  21 

fresh  air  and  daylight.  A  deal  table  occupied  a  very  con- 
siderable extent  of  this  small  apartment,  and  on  it  stood  a 
brass  candle-stick,  with  a  dip  candle,  and  a  wick  like  a  full- 
blown carnation.  The  table-cloth  was  spread,  and  the 
stains  of  port  wine  and  gravy  too  visibly  indicated,  like 
the  midshipman's  dirty  shirt,  the  near  approach  of  Sunday. 
The  black  servant  was  preparing  for  dinner,  and  I  was 
shown  the  seat  I  was  to  occupy.  "  Good  Heaven ! " 
thought  I,  as  I  squeezed  myself  between  the  ship's  side 
and  the  mess-table  $  "and  is  this  to  be  my  future  resid- 
ence ? — better  go  back  to  school ;  there,  at  least,  there  is 
fresh  air  and  clean  linen." 

I  would  have  written  that  moment  to  my  dear,  broken- 
hearted mother,  to  tell  her  how  gladly  her  prodigal  son 
would  fly  back  to  her  arms  ;  but  I  was  prevented  doing 
this,  first  by  pride,  and  secondly  by  want  of  writing 
materials.  Taking  my  place,  therefore,  at  the  table,  I 
mustered  up  all  my  philosophy;  and,  to  amuse  myself, 
called  to  mind  the  reflections  of  Gil  Bias,  when  he  found 
himself  in  the  den  of  the  robbers,  "Behold,  then,  the 
worthy  nephew  of  my  uncle,  Gil  Perez,  caught  like  a  rat 
in  a  trap." 

Most  of  my  new  associates  were  absent  on  duty ;  the 
'tween-decks  was  crammed  with  casks  and  cases,  and 
chests,  and  bags,  and  hammocks ;  the  noise  of  the  caulkers 
was  resumed  over  my  head  and  all  around  me  ;  the  stench 
of  bilge-water,  combining  with  the  smoke  of  tobacco,  the 
effluvia  of  gin  and  beer,  the  frying  of  beef-steaks  and 
onions,  and  red  herrings — the  pressure  of  a  dark  atmos- 
phere and  a  heavy  shower  of  rain,  all  conspired  to  oppress 
my  spirits,  and  render  me  the  most  miserable  dog  that 
ever  lived.  I  had  almost  resigned  myself  to  despair,  when 
I  recollected  the  captain's  invitation,  and  mentioned  it  to 
Flyblock.  "  That's  well  thought  of,"  said  he ;  "  Murphy 
also  dines  with  him ;  you  can  both  go  together,  and  I  dare 
say  he  will  be  very  glad  of  your  company." 

A  captain  seldom  waits  for  a  midshipman,  and  we  took 
good  care  he  should  not  wait  for  us.     The  dinner  was  in 


22  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

all  respects  one  **  on  service.,,  The  captain  said  a  great 
deal,  the  lieutenants  very  little,  and  the  midshipmen 
nothing  at  all ;  but  the  performance  of  the  knife  and  fork, 
and  wine-glass  (as  far  as  it  could  be  got  at),  were  exactly 
in  the  inverse  ratio.  The  company  consisted  of  my  own 
captain,  and  two  others,  our  first  lieutenant,  Murphy,  and 
myself. 

As  soon  as  the  cloth  was  removed,  the  captain  filled  me 
out  a  glass  of  wine,  desired  I  would  drink  it,  and  then  go 
and  see  how  the  wind  was.  I  took  this  my  first  admoni- 
tory hint  in  its  literal  sense  and  meaning ;  but  having  a 
very  imperfect  idea  of  the  points  of  the  compass,  I  own  I 
felt  a  little  puzzled  how  I  should  obtain  the  necessary 
information.  Fortunately  for  me,  there  was  a  weather- 
cock on  the  old  church-steeple ;  it  had  four  letters,  which 
I  certainly  did  know  were  meant  to  represent  the  cardinal 
points.  One  of  these  seemed  so  exactly  to  correspond 
with  the  dial  above  it,  that  I  made  up  my  mind  the  wind 
must  be  West,  and  instantly  returned  to  give  my  captain 
the  desired  information,  not  a  little  proud  with  my  success 
in  having  obtained  it  so  soon.  But  what  was  my  surprise 
to  find  that  I  was  not  thanked  for  my  trouble ;  the 
company  even  smiled  and  winked  at  each  other ;  the  first 
lieutenant  nodded  his  head  and  said,  "  Rather  green  yet." 
The  captain,  however,  settled  the  point  according  to  the 
manners  and  customs,  in  such  cases,  used  at  sea.  "  Here, 
youngster,"  said  he,  "  here  is  another  glass  for  you ;  drink 
that,  and  then  Murphy  will  show  you  what  I  mean." 
Murphy  was  my  chaperon ;  he  swallowed  his  wine — rather 
a  gorge  deploy ee;  put  down  his  glass  very  energetically,  and, 
bowing,  left  the  room. 

When  we  had  got  fairly  into  the  hall,  we  had  the 
following  duet:—  "What  the  h —  brought  you  back 
again,  you  d — d  young  greenhorn?  Could  not  you 
take  a  hint,  and  be  off,  as  the  captain  intended  ?  So  I 
must  lose  my  wine  for  such  a  d — d  young  whelp  as  you. 
Fll  pay  you  off  for  this,  my  tight  fellow,  before  we  have 
been  many  weeks  together." 


The  Naval  Officer  23 

I  listened  to  this  elegant  harangue,  with  some  impatience, 
and  much  more  indignation.  "  I  came  back,"  said  I,  "  to 
tell  the  captain  how  the  wind  was." 

"  You  be  d — d,"  replied  Murphy  :  "  do  you  think  the 
captain  did  not  know  how  the  wind  was  ?  and  if  he  had 
wanted  to  know,  don't  you  think  he  would  have  sent  a 
sailor  like  me,  instead  of  such  a  d — d  lubberly  whelp  as 
you?" 

"As  to  what  the  captain  meant,"  said  I,  "I  do  not 
know.  I  did  as  I  was  bid — but  what  do  you  mean  by 
calling  me  a  whelp  ?  I  am  no  more  a  whelp  than  your- 
self!" 

"  Oh,  you  are  not,  a'n't  you  ? "  said  Murphy,  seizing 
me  by  one  of  my  ears,  which  he  pulled  so  unmercifully 
that  he  altered  the  shape  of  it  very  considerably,  making 
it  something  like  the  leeboard  of  a  Dutch  schuyt. 

This  was  not  to  be  borne ;  though,  as  I  was  but 
thirteen,  he  seventeen,  and  a  very  stout  fellow,  I  should 
rather  not  have  sought  an  action  with  him.  But  he  had 
begun  it :  my  honour  was  at  stake,  and  I  only  wonder 
I  had  not  drawn  my  dirk,  and  laid  him  dead  at  my 
feet.  Fortunately  for  him,  the  rage  I  was  in,  made  me 
forget  I  had  it  by  my  side :  though  I  remembered  my 
uniform,  the  disgrace  brought  upon  it,  and  the  admiration 
of  the  chambermaid,  as  well  as  the  salute  of  the  sentinel, 
all  which  formed  a  combustible  in  my  brain.  I  went  off 
like  a  flash,  and  darted  my  fist  (the  weapon  I  had  been 
most  accustomed  to  wield)  into  the  left  eye  of  my  adver- 
sary, with  a  force  and  precision  which  Crib  would  have 
applauded.  Murphy  staggered  back  with  the  blow,  and 
for  a  moment  I  flattered  myself  he  had  had  enough  of  it. 

But  no — alas,  this  was  a  day  of  disappointments !  he 
had  only  retreated  to  take  a  spring ;  he  then  came  on  me 
like  the  lifeguards  at  Waterloo,  and  his  charge  was  irresist- 
ible. I  was  upset,  pummelled,  thumped,  kicked,  and 
should  probably  have  been  the  subject  of  a  coroner's 
inquest  had  not  the  waiter  and  chambermaid  run  in  to 
my  rescue.     The  tongue  of  the  latter  was  particularly 


24  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

active  in  my  favour :  unluckily  for  me,  she  had  no  other 
weapon  near  her,  or  it  would  have  gone  hard  with 
Murphy.  "  Shame  !  "  said  she,  "  for  such  a  great  lubberly- 
creature  to  beat  such  a  poor,  little,  innocent,  defenceless 
fellow  as  that.  What  would  his  mamma  say  to  see  him 
treated  so  ?  " 

"  D — n  his  mamma,  and  you  too,"  said  Pat,  "  look  at 
my  eye." 

"D — n  your  eye,"  said  the  waiter:  "it's  a  pity  he  had 
not  served  the  other  one  the  same  way ;  no  more  than  you 
deserve  for  striking  a  child ;  the  boy  is  game,  and  that's 
more  than  you  are  ;  he  is  worth  as  many  of  you,  as  will 
stand  between  this  and  the  iron  chair  at  Barbican." 

"  I'd  like  to  see  him  duck'd  in  it,"  said  the  maid. 

While  this  was  going  on,  I  had  resumed  my  defensive 
attitude.  I  had  never  once  complained,  and  had  gained 
the  good-will  of  all  the  bystanders,  among  whom  now 
appeared  my  captain  and  his  friends.  The  blood  was 
streaming  from  my  mouth,  and  I  bore  the  marks  of 
discipline  from  the  superior  prowess  of  my  enemy,  who 
was  a  noted  pugilist  for  his  age,  and  would  not  have 
received  the  hit  from  me,  if  he  had  supposed  my  pre- 
sumption would  have  led  me  to  attack  him.  The  captain 
demanded  an  explanation.  Murphy  told  the  story  in  his 
own  way,  and  gave  anything  but  the  true  version.  I 
could  have  beaten  him  at  that,  but  truth  answered  my 
purpose  better  than  falsehood  on  this  occasion;  so,  as 
soon  as  he  had  done,  I  gave  my  round  unvarnished  tale, 
and,  although  defeated  in  the  field,  I  plainly  saw  that  I 
had  the  advantage  of  him  in  the  cabinet.  Murphy  was 
dismissed  in  disgrace,  and  ordered  to  rusticate  on  board 
till  his  eye  was  bright. 

"I  should  have  confined  you  to  the  ship  myself,"  said 
the  captain,  "  but  the  boy  has  done  it  for  me  ;  you  cannot 
appear  on  shore  with  that  black  eye." 

As  soon  as  he  was  gone,  I  was  admonished  to  be  more 
careful  in  future.  "  You  are,"  said  the  captain,  "  like  a 
young   bear ;  all  your  sorrows   are  before  you  ;    if  you 


The  Naval  Officer  25 

give  a  blow  for  every  hard  name  you  receive,  your  fate 
in  the  service  may  be  foreseen  :  if  weak  you  will  be 
pounded  to  a  mummy — if  strong,  you  will  be  hated.  A 
quarrelsome  disposition  will  make  you  enemies  in  every 
rank  you  may  attain  ;  you  will  be  watched  with  a  jealous 
eye,  well  knowing,  as  we  all  do,  that  the  same  spirit  of 
insolence  and  overbearing  which  you  show  in  the  cockpit, 
will  follow  you  to  the  quarter-deck,  and  rise  with  you 
in  the  service.  This  advice  is  for  your  own  good  ;  not 
that  I  interfere  in  these  things,  as  everybody  and  every- 
thing finds  its  level  in  a  man-of-war ;  I  only  wish  you 
to  draw  a  line  between  resistance  against  oppression, 
which  I  admire  and  respect,  and  a  litigious,  uncompromis- 
ing disposition,  which  I  despise.  Now  wash  your  face 
and  go  on  board.  Try  by  all  means  to  conciliate  the  rest 
of  your  messmates,  for  first  impressions  are  everything, 
and  rely  on  it,  Murphy's  report  will  not  be  in  your 
favour." 

This  advice  was  very  good,  but  had  the  disadvantage 
of  coming  too  late  for  that  occasion  by  at  least  half  an 
hour.  The  fracas  was  owing  to  the  captain's  mismanage- 
ment, and  the  manners  and  customs  of  the  navy  at  the 
beginning  of  the  nineteenth  century.  The  conversation 
at  the  tables  of  the  higher  ranks  of  the  service  in  those 
days,  unless  ladies  were  present,  was  generally  such  as  a 
boy  could  not  listen  to  without  injury  to  his  better  feel- 
ings. I  was  therefore  "  hinted  off; "  but  with  due  respect 
to  my  captain,  who  is  still  living,  I  should  have  been  sent 
on  board  of  my  ship  and  cautioned  against  the  bad  habits 
of  the  natives  of  North  Corner  and  Barbican ;  and  if  I 
could  not  be  admitted  to  the  mysterious  conversation  of 
a  captain's  table,  I  should  have  been  told  in  a  clear  and 
decided  manner  to  depart,  without  the  needless  puzzle  of 
an  innuendo,  which  I  did  not  and  could  not  understand. 

I  returned  on  board  about  eight  o'clock,  where  Murphy 
had  gone  before  me,  and  prepared  a  reception  far  from 
agreeable.  Instead  of  being  welcomed  to  my  berth,  I 
was  received  with  coldness,  and  I  returned  to  the  quarter- 


16  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

deck,  where  I  walked  till  I  was  weary,  and  then  leaned 
against  a  gun.  From  this  temporary  alleviation,  I  was 
roused  by  a  voice  of  thunder,  "  Lean  off  that  gun."  I 
started  up,  touched  my  hat,  and  continued  my  solitary 
walk,  looking  now  and  then  at  the  second  lieutenant,  who 
had  thus  gruffly  addressed  me.  I  felt  a  dejection  of 
spirits,  a  sense  of  destitution  and  misery,  which  I  cannot 
describe.  I  had  done  no  wrong,  yet  I  was  suffering  as 
if  I  had  committed  a  crime.  I  had  been  aggrieved,  and 
had  vindicated  myself  as  well  as  I  could.  I  thought  I  was 
among  devils,  and  not  men ;  my  thoughts  turned  home- 
ward. I  remembered  my  poor  mother  in  her  agony  of 
grief,  on  the  sofa;  and  my  unfeeling  heart  then  found 
that  it  needed  the  soothings  of  affection.  I  could  have 
wept,  but  I  knew  not  where  to  go ;  for  I  could  not  be 
seen  to  cry  on  board  of  ship.  My  pride  began  to  be 
humbled.  I  felt  the  misery  of  dependence,  although  not 
wanting  pecuniary  resources ;  and  would  have  given  up 
all  my  prospects  to  have  been  once  more  seated  quietly  at 
home. 

The  first  lieutenant  came  on  board  soon  after,  and  I 
heard  him  relating  my  adventure  to  the  second  lieutenant. 
The  tide  now  evidently  turned  in  my  favour.  I  was 
invited  down  to  the  gun-room,  and  having  given  satis- 
factory answers  to  all  the  questions  put  to  me,  Flyblock 
was  sent  for,  and  I  was  once  more  placed  under  his 
protection.  The  patronage  of  the  first  lieutenant,  I 
flattered  myself  would  have  ensured  me  at  least  common 
civility  for  a  short  time. 

I  had  now  more  leisure  to  contemplate  my  new  resid- 
ence and  new  associates,  who,  having  returned  from  the 
duty  of  the  dock-yard,  were  all  assembled  in  the  berth, 
seated  round  the  table  on  the  lockers,  which  paid  "  the 
double  debt "  of  seats  and  receptacles ;  but  in  order  to 
obtain  a  sitting,  it  was  requisite  either  to  climb  over  the 
backs  of  the  company,  or  submit  to  "  high  pressure  "  from 
the  last  comer.  Such  close  contact,  even  with  our  best 
friends,  is  never  desirable  j  but  in  warm  weather,  in  a 


The  Naval  Officer  27 

close,  confined  air,  with  a  manifest  scarcity  of  clean  linen, 
it  became  particularly  inconvenient.  The  population  here 
very  far  exceeded  the  limits  usually  allotted  to  human 
beings  in  any  situation  of  life,  except  in  a  slave  ship.  The 
midshipmen,  of  whom  there  were  eight  full-grown,  and 
four  youngsters,  were  without  either  jackets  or  waistcoats  ; 
some  of  them  had  their  shirt-sleeves  rolled  up,  either  to 
prevent  the  reception  or  to  conceal  the  absorption  of  dirt 
in  the  region  of  the  wristbands.  The  repast  on  the  table 
consisted  of  a  can  or  large  black-jack  of  small  beer,  and  a 
japan  bread-basket  full  of  sea-biscuit.  To  compensate  for 
this  simple  fare,  and  at  the  same  time  to  cool  the  close 
atmosphere  of  the  berth,  the  table  was  covered  with  a 
large  green  cloth  with  a  yellow  border,  and  many  yellow 
spots  withal,  where  the  colour  had  been  discharged  by 
slops  of  vinegar,  hot  tea,  &c,  &c. ;  a  sack  of  potatoes 
stood  in  one  corner,  and  the  shelves  all  round,  and  close 
over  our  heads,  were  stuffed  with  plates,  glasses,  quadrants, 
knives  and  forks,  loaves  of  sugar,  dirty  stockings  and 
shirts,  and  still  fouler  table-cloths,  small  tooth-combs,  and 
ditto  large,  clothes  brushes  and  shoe  brushes,  cocked-hats, 
dirks,  German  flutes,  mahogany  writing-desks,  a  plate  of 
salt  butter,  and  some  two  or  three  pairs  of  naval  half- 
boots.  A  single  candle  served  to  make  darkness  visible, 
and  the  stench  had  nearly  overpowered  me. 

The  reception  I  met  with  tended  in  no  way  to  relieve 
these  horrible  impressions.  A  black  man,  with  no  other 
dress  than  a  dirty  check  shirt  and  trousers,  not  smelling  of 
amber,  stood  within  the  door,  ready  to  obey  all  and  any 
one  of  the  commands  with  which  he  was  loaded.  The 
smell  of  the^towel  he  held  in  his  hand,  to  wipe  the  plates 
and  glasses  with,  completed  my  discomfiture  ;  and  I  fell 
sick  upon  the  seat  nearest  at  me.  Recovering  from  this, 
without  the  aid  of  any  "ministering  angel,"  I  contracted 
the  pupils  of  my  eyes,  and  ventured  to  look  around  me. 
The  first  who  met  my  gaze,  was  my  recent  foe ;  he  bore 
the  marks  of  contention  by  having  his  eye  bound  up  with 
brown  paper  and  a   dirty  silk  pocket-handkerchief;  the 


2  8  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

other  was  quickly  turned  on  me ;  and,  with  a  savage  and 
brutal  countenance,  he  swore  and  denounced  the  severest 
vengeance  on  me  for  what  I  had  done.  In  this,  he  was 
joined  by  another  ill-looking  fellow,  with  large  whiskers. 

I  shall  not  repeat  the  elegant  philippics  with  which  I 
was  greeted.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  I  found  all  the  big 
ones  against  me,  and  the  little  ones  neuter ;  the  caterer 
supposing  I  had  received  suitable  admonition  for  my  future 
guidance,  and  that  I  was  completely  bound  over  to  keep 
the  peace — turned  all  the  youngsters  out  of  the  berth. 
"  As  for  you,  Mr  FistycufF,"  said  he,  addressing  himself 
to  me,  "  you  may  walk  off  with  the  rest  of  the  gang,  so 
make  yourself  scarce,  like  the  Highlander's  breeches." 

The  boys  all  obeyed  the  command  in  silence,  and  I  was 
not  sorry  to  follow  them.  As  I  went  out  he  added,  "  So, 
Mr  Rumbusticus,  you  can  obey  orders,  I  see,  and  it  is 
well  for  you  ;  for  I  had  a  biscuit  ready  to  shy  at  your 
head."  This  affront,  after  all  I  had  suffered,  I  was  forced 
to  pocket ;  but  I  could  not  understand  what  the  admiral 
could  mean,  when  he  said  that  people  went  to  sea  "  to 
learn  manners." 

I  soon  made  acquaintance  with  the  younger  set  of  my 
messmates,  and  we  retreated  to  the  forecastle  as  the  only 
part  of  the  ship  suitable  to  the  nature  of  the  conversation 
we  intended  to  hold.  After  one  hour's  deliberation,  and 
notwithstanding  it  was  the  first  night  I  had  ever  been  on 
board  a  ship,  I  was  unanimously  elected  leader  of  this 
little  band.  I  became  the  "William  Tell  of  the  party,  as 
having  been  the  first  to  resist  the  tyranny  of  the  oldsters, 
and  especially  of  the  tyrant  Murphy.  I  was  let  into  all 
the  secrets  of  the  mess  in  which  the  youngsters  were 
placed  by  the  captain  to  be  instructed  and  kept  in  order. 
Alas  !  what  instruction  did  we  get  but  blasphemy  ?  What 
order  were  we  kept  in,  except  that  of  paying  our  mess, 
and  being  forbidden  to  partake  of  those  articles  which  our 
money  had  purchased  ?  My  blood  boiled  when  they 
related  all  they  had  suffered,  and  I  vowed  I  would  sooner 
die  than  submit  to  such  treatment. 


The  Naval  Officer  29 

The  hour  of  bed-time  arrived.  I  was  instructed  how 
to  get  into  my  hammock,  and  laughed  at  for  tumbling  out 
on  the  opposite  side.  I  was  forced  to  submit  to  this  pride 
of  conscious  superiority  of  these  urchins  who  could  only 
boast  of  a  few  months'  more  practical  experience  than 
myself,  and  who,  therefore,  called  me  a  greenhorn.  But 
all  this  was  done  in  good  nature  ;  and  after  a  few  hearty 
laughs  from  my  companions,  I  gained  the  centre  of  my 
suspended  bed,  and  was  very  soon  in  a  sound  sleep.  This 
was  only  allowed  to  last  till  about  four  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  when  down  came  the  head  of  my  hammock,  and 
I  fell  to  the  deck,  with  my  feet  still  hanging  in  the  air, 
like  poor  Sally,  when  she  caught  the  crab.  Stunned  and 
stupefied  by  the  fall,  bewildered  by  the  violent  concussion 
and  the  novelty  of  all  around  me,  I  continued  in  a  state  of 
somnambulism,  and  it  was  some  minutes  before  I  could 
recollect  myself. 

The  marine  sentinel  at  the  gun-room  door  seeing  what 
had  happened,  and  also  espying  the  person  to  whom  I  was 
indebted  for  this  favour,  very  kindly  came  to  my  assist- 
ance. He  knotted  my  lanyard,  and  restored  my  hammock 
to  its  place  j  but  he  could  not  persuade  me  to  confide 
myself  again  to  such  treacherous  bedposts,  for  I  thought 
the  rope  had  broken;  and  so  strongly  did  the  fear  of 
another  tumble  possess  my  mind,  that  I  took  a  blanket, 
and  lay  down  on  a  chest  at  some  little  distance,  keeping 
a  sleepless  eye  directed  to  the  scene  of  my  late  disaster. 

This  was  fortunate ;  for  not  many  minutes  had  elapsed, 
when  Murphy,  who  had  been  relieved  from  the  middle 
watch,  came  below,  and  seeing  my  hammock  again  hanging 
up,  and  supposing  me  in  it,  took  out  his  knife  and  cut  it 
down.  "  So  then,"  said  I  to  myself,  "  it  was  you  who 
invaded  my  slumbers,  and  nearly  dashed  my  brains  out, 
and  have  now  made  the  second  attempt."  I  vowed  to 
Heaven  that  I  would  have  revenge ;  and  I  acquitted 
myself  of  that  vow.  Like  the  North  American  savage, 
crouching  lest  he  should  see  me,  I  waited  patiently  till 
he  had  got  into  his  hammock,  and  was  in  a  sound  sleep. 


30  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

I  then  gently  pushed  a  shot-case  under  the  head  of  his 
hammock,  and  placed  the  corner  of  it  so  as  to  receive  his 
head ;  for  had  it  split  his  skull  I  should  not  have  cared, 
so  exasperated  was  I,  and  so  bent  on  revenge.  Subtle 
and  silent,  I  then  cut  his  lanyard :  he  fell,  and  his  head 
coming  in  contact  with  the  edge  of  the  shot-case,  he  gave 
a  deep  groan,  and  there  he  lay.  I  instantly  retreated  to 
my  chest  and  blanket,  where  I  pretended  to  snore,  while 
the  sentinel,  who,  fortunately  for  me,  had  seen  Murphy 
cut  me  down  the  first  time,  came  with  his  lanthorn,  and 
seeing  him  apparently  dead,  removed  the  shot-case  out 
of  the  way,  and  then  ran  to  the  sergeant  of  marines, 
desiring  him  to  bring  the  surgeon's  assistant. 

While  the  sergeant  was  gone,  he  whispered  softly  to 
me,  "  Lie  still ;  I  saw  the  whole  of  it,  and  if  you  are 
found  out,  it  may  go  hard  with  you." 

Murphy,  it  appeared,  had  few  friends  in  the  ship ;  all 
rejoiced  at  his  accident.  I  laid  very  quietly  in  my  blanket 
while  the  surgeon's  assistant  dressed  the  wound ;  and, 
after  a  considerable  time,  succeeded  in  restoring  the 
patient  to  his  senses :  he  was,  however,  confined  a  fort- 
night to  his  bed.  I  was  either  not  suspected,  or,  if  I  was, 
it  was  known  that  I  was  not  the  aggressor.  The  secret 
was  well  kept.  I  gave  the  marine  a  guinea,  and  took 
him  into  my  service  as  valet  de  place. 

And  now,  reader,  in  justice  to  myself,  allow  me  to 
make  a  few  remarks.  They  may  serve  as  a  palliative, 
to  a  certain  degree,  for  that  unprincipled  career  which 
the  following  pages  will  expose.  The  passions  of  pride 
and  revenge,  implanted  in  our  fallen  natures,  and  which, 
if  not  eradicated  in  the  course  of  my  education,  ought, 
at  least,  to  have  lain  dormant  as  long  as  possible,  were, 
through  the  injudicious  conduct  of  those  to  whom  I  had 
been  entrusted,  called  into  action  and  full  activity  at  a 
very  early  age.  The  moral  seeds  sown  by  my  parents, 
which  might  have  germinated  and  produced  fruit,  were 
not  watered  or  attended  to ;  weeds  had  usurped  their 
place,  and  were  occupying  the  ground  which  should  have 


The  Naval  Officer 


3i 


supported  them ;  and  at  this  period,  when  the  most 
assiduous  cultivation  was  necessary  to  procure  a  return, 
into  what  a  situation  was  I  thrown  ?  In  a  ship  crowded 
with  three  hundred  men,  each  of  them,  or  nearly  so, 
cohabiting  with  an  unfortunate  female,  in  the  lowest 
state  of  degradation ;  where  oaths  and  blasphemy  inter- 
larded every  sentence ;  where  religion  was  wholly 
neglected,  and  the  only  honour  paid  to  the  Almighty 
was  a  clean  shirt  on  a  Sunday ;  where  implicit  obedience 
to  the  will  of  an  officer,  was  considered  of  more  import- 
ance than  the  observance  of  the  Decalogue ;  and  the 
Commandments  of  God  were  in  a  manner  abrogated  by 
the  Articles  of  War — for  the  first  might  be  broken  with 
impunity,  and  even  with  applause,  while  the  most  severe 
punishment  awaited  any  infraction  of  the  latter. 

So  much  for  the  ship  in  the  aggregate ;  let  us  now 
survey  the  midshipmen's  berth.  Here  we  found  the 
same  language  and  the  same  manners,  with  scarcely 
one  shade  more  of  refinement.  Their  only  pursuits 
when  on  shore  were  intoxication  and  worse  debauchery, 
to  be  gloried  in  and  boasted  of  when  they  returned  on 
board.  My  captain  said  that  everything  found  its  level 
in  a  man-of-war.  True ;  but  in  a  midshipman's  berth 
it  was  the  level  of  a  savage,  where  corporal  strength 
was  the  sine  qua  ncn,  and  decided  whether  you  were  to 
act  the  part  of  a  tyrant  or  a  slave.  The  discipline  of 
public  schools,  bad  and  demoralizing  as  it  is,  was  light, 
compared  to  the  tyranny  of  a  midshipman's  berth  in  1803. 

A  mistaken  notion  has  long  prevailed,  that  boys  derive 
advantages  from  suffering  under  the  tyranny  of  their 
oppressors  at  schools  ;  and  we  constantly  hear  the  praises 
of  public  schools  and  midshipmen's  berths  on  this  very 
account — namely,  "  that  boys  are  taught  to  find  their 
level."  I  do  not  mean  to  deny  but  that  the  higher 
orders  improve  by  collision  with  their  inferiors,  and  that  a 
young  aristocrat  is  often  brought  to  his  senses  by  receiving 
a  sound  thrashing  from  the  son  of  a  tradesman.  But  he 
that  is  brought  up  a  slave,  will  be  a  tyrant  when  he  has 


32  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

the  power ;  the  worst  of  our  passions  are  nourished  to 
inflict  the  same  evil  on  others  which  we  boast  of  having 
suffered  ourselves.  The  courage  and  daring  spirit  of  a 
noble-minded  boy  is  rather  broken  down  by  ill-usage, 
which  he  has  not  the  power  to  resist,  or,  surmounting  all 
this,  he  proudly  imbibes  a  dogged  spirit  of  sullen  resist- 
ance and  implacable  revenge,  which  become  the  bane  of 
his  future  life. 

The  latter  was  my  fate  $  and  let  not  my  readers  be 
surprised  or  shocked,  if,  in  the  course  of  these  adventures, 
I  should  display  some  of  the  fruits  of  that  fatal  seed,  so 
early  and  so  profusely  sown  in  my  bosom.  If,  on  my  first 
coming  into  the  ship,  I  shrank  back  with  horror  at  the 
sound  of  blasphemy  and  obscenity — if  I  shut  my  eyes  to  the 
promiscuous  intercourse  of  the  sexes,  it  was  not  so  long. 
By  insensible  degrees,  I  became  familiarised  with  vice, 
and  callous  to  its  approach.  In  a  few  months  I  had  become 
nearly  as  corrupt  as  others.  I  might  indeed  have  resisted 
longer  ;  but  though  the  fortress  of  virtue  could  have  held 
out  against  open  violence,  it  could  not  withstand  the 
undermining  of  ridicule.  My  young  companions,  who, 
as  I  have  observed,  had  only  preceded  me  six  months 
in  the  service,  were  already  grown  old  in  depravity  ;  they 
laughed  at  my  squeamishness,  called  me  "  milksop  "  and 
"  boarding-school  miss,"  and  soon  made  me  as  bad  as  them- 
selves. We  had  not  quite  attained  the  age  of  perpetration, 
but  we  were  fully  prepared  to  meet  it  when  it  came. 

I  had  not  been  two  days  on  board,  when  the  youngsters 
proposed  a  walk  into  the  main  top.  I  mounted  the 
rigging  with  perfect  confidence,  for  I  was  always  a  good 
climber  ;  but  I  had  not  proceeded  far,  when  I  was  over- 
taken by  the  captain  of  the  top  and  another  man,  who, 
without  any  ceremony  or  preface,  seized  me  by  each  arm, 
and  very  deliberately  lashed  me  fast  in  the  rigging.  They 
laughed  at  my  remonstrance.  I  asked  what  they  meant, 
and  the  captain  of  the  top  said  very  civilly  taking  off  his 
hat  at  the  same  time,  "  that  it  was  the  way  all  gemmen 
were  sarved  when  they  first  went  aloft ;  and  I  must  pay 


The  Naval  Officer 


33 


my  footing  as  a  bit  of  a  parkazite."  I  looked  down  to  the 
quarter-deck  for  assistance,  but  every  one  there  was 
laughing  at  me ;  and  even  the  very  little  rogues  of 
midshipmen  who  had  enticed  me  up  were  enjoying  the 
joke.  Seeing  this  was  the  case,  I  only  asked  what  was  to 
pay  The  captain  of  the  top  said  a  seven  shilling  bit 
would  be  thought  handsome.  This  I  promised  to  give, 
and  was  released  on  my  own  recognizances.  When  I 
reached  the  quarter-deck  I  paid  the  money. 

Having  experienced  nothing  but  cruelty  and  oppression 
since  I  had  been  on  board,  I  sorely  repented  of  coming  to 
sea ;  my  only  solace  was  seeing  Murphy,  as  he  lay  in  his 
hammock,  with  his  head  bound  up.  This  was  a  balm  to 
me.  "  I  bide  my  time,"  said  I ;  "  I  will  yet  be  revenged 
on  all  of  you  ; "  and  so  I  was.  I  let  none  escape  :  I  had 
them  all  in  their  turns,  and  glutted  my  thirst  for 
revenge. 

I  had  been  three  weeks  on  board,  when  the  ship  was 
reported  ready  for  sea.  I  had  acquired  the  favour  of  the 
first  lieutenant  by  a  constant  attention  to  the  little  duties 
he  gave  me  to  perform.  I  had  been  put  into  a  watch,  and 
stationed  in  the  fore-top,  and  quartered  at  the  foremast 
guns  on  the  main  deck.  I  was  told  by  the  youngsters  that 
the  first  lieutenant  was  a  harsh  officer,  and  implacable  when 
once  he  took  a  dislike  ;  his  manners,  however,  even  when 
under  the  greatest  excitement,  were  always  those  of  a 
perfect  gentleman,  and  I  continued  living  on  good  terms 
with  him.  But  with  the  second  lieutenant  I  was  not  so 
fortunate.  He  had  ordered  me  to  take  the  jolly-boat  and 
bring  off  a  woman  whom  he  kept  \  I  remonstrated 
and  refused,  and  from  that  moment  we  never  were 
friends. 

Murphy  had  also  recovered  from  his  fall,  and  returned 
to  his  duty  ;  his  malice  towards  me  increased,  and  I  had 
no  peace  or  comfort  in  his  presence.  One  day  he  threw  a 
biscuit  at  my  head,  calling  me  at  the  same  time  a  name 
which  reflected  on  the  legitimacy  of  my  birth,  in  language 
the  most  coarse  and  vulgar.  In  a  moment  all  the  admoni- 
m  c 


34  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

tions  which  I  had  received,  and  all  my  sufferings  for  im- 
petuosity of  temper,  were  forgotten  ;  the  blood  boiled  in 
my  veins,  and  trickled  from  my  wounded  forehead.  Dizzy, 
and  almost  sightless  with  rage,  I  seized  a  brass  candlestick, 
the  bottom  of  which  (to  keep  it  steady  at  sea)  was  loaded 
with  lead,  and  threw  it  at  him  with  all  my  might  ;  had  it 
taken  effect  as  I  intended,  that  offence  would  have 
been  his  last.  It  missed  his  head,  and  struck  the  black 
servant  on  the  shoulder ;  the  poor  man  went  howling 
to  the  surgeon,  in  whose  care  he  remained  for  many 
days. 

Murphy  started  up  to  take  instant  vengeance,  but  was 
held  by  the  other  seniors  of  the  mess,  who  unanimously 
declared  that  such  an  offence  as  mine  should  be  punished 
in  a  more  solemn  manner.  A  mock  trial  (without  adverting 
to  the  provocation  I  had  received)  found  me  guilty  of  in- 
subordination "  to  the  oldsters,"  and  setting  a  bad  example 
to  the  youngsters.  I  was  sentenced  to  be  cobbed  with  a 
worsted  stocking,  filled  with  wet  sand.  I  was  held  down 
on  my  face  on  the  mess-table  by  four  stout  midshipmen ; 
the  surgeon's  assistant  held  my  wrist,  to  ascertain  if  my 
pulse  indicated  exhaustion;  while  Murphy,  at  his  own 
particular  request,  became  the  executioner.  Had  it  been 
any  other  but  him,  I  should  have  given  vent  to  my  agoniz- 
ing pain  by  screams,  but  like  a  sullen  Ebo,  I  was  resolved 
to  endure  even  to  death,  rather  than  gratify  him  by  any 
expression  of  pain.  After  a  most  severe  punishment,  a 
cold  sweat  and  faintness  alarmed  the  surgeon's  assistant. 
I  was  then  released,  but  ordered  to  mess  on  my  chest  for 
a  fortnight  by  myself.  As  soon  as  I  was  able  to  stand, 
and  had  recovered  my  breath,  I  declared  in  the  most 
solemn  manner,  that  a  repetition  of  the  offence  should 
produce  the  action  for  which  I  had  suffered,  and  I  would 
then  appeal  to  the  captain  for  justice  ;  "  and,"  said  I, 
turning  to  Murphy,  "  it  was  I  who  cut  down  your 
hammock,  and  had  very  nearly  knocked  out  your  brains. 
I  did  it  in  return  for  your  cowardly  attack  on  me ;  and  I 
will  do  it  again,  if  I  suffer  martyrdom  for  it ;  for  every  act 


The  Naval  Officer  35 

of  tyranny  you  commit  I  will  have  revenge.  Try  me  now, 
and  see  if  I  am  not  as  good  as  my  word."  He  grinned, 
and  turned  pale,  but  dared  do  no  more,  for  he  was  a 
coward. 

I  was  ordered  to  quit  the  berth,  which  I- did,  and  as  I 
went  out,  one  of  the  mates  observed,  that  I  was  "  a 
proper  malignant  devil,  by  G — ." 

This  violent  scene  produced  a  sort  of  cessation  from 
hostilities.  Murphy  knew  that  he  might  expect  a  decanter 
at  his  head  or  a  knife  in  his  side,  if  I  was  provoked ;  and 
that  peace  which  I  could  not  gain  from  his  compassion,  I 
obtained  from  his  fears.  The  affair  made  a  noise  in  the 
ship.  With  the  officers  in  the  gun-room  I  lost  ground, 
because  it  was  misrepresented.  With  the  men  I 
gained  favour,  because  they  hated  Murphy.  They 
saw  the  truth,  and  admired  me  for  my  determined 
resistance. 

Sent  to  Coventry  by  the  officers,  I  sought  the  society  of 
the  men.  I  learned  rapidly  the  practical  part  of  my  duty, 
and  profited  by  the  uncouth  criticism  of  these  rough 
warriors  on  the  defective  seamanship  of  their  superiors. 
A  sort  of  compact  was  made  between  us  :  they  promised 
that  whenever  they  deserted,  it  should  not  be  from  my 
boat  when  on  duty,  and  I  promised  to  let  them  go  and 
drink  at  public-houses  as  long  as  I  could  spare  them.  In 
spite,  however,  of  this  mutual  understanding,  two  of  them 
violated  their  faith  the  night  before  we  went  to  sea,  and 
left  the  boat  of  which  I  had  charge ;  and  as  I  had  dis- 
obeyed orders  in  letting  them  go  to  a  public-house,  I 
was,  on  my  return  to  the  ship,  dismissed  from  the 
quarter-deck,  and  ordered  to  do  my  duty  in  the 
fore-top. 


36  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

Chapter  III 

The  might  of  England  flush'd 
-  To  anticipate  the  same  ; 

And  her  van  the  fleeter  rush'd 

O'er  the  deadly  space  between. 
"  Hearts  of  oak  !  "  our  captains  cried  ;  when  each  gun 
From  its  adamantine  lips 
Spread  a  death-shade  round  the  ships, 
Like  the  hurricane  eclipse 

Of  the  sun.  Campbell. 

Considering  my  youth  and  inexperience,  and  the  trifling 
neglect  of  which  I  was  accused,  there  are  few,  even  of  the 
most  rigid  disciplinarians,  who  will  not  admit  that  I  was 
both  unjustly  and  unkindly  treated  by  the  first  lieutenant, 
who  certainly,  with  all  my  respect  for  him,  had  lent  him- 
self to  my  enemies.  The  second  lieutenant  and  Mr 
Murphy  did  not  even  conceal  their  feelings  on  the  occasion, 
but  exulted  over  my  disgrace. 

The  ship  was  suddenly  ordered  to  Portsmouth,  where 
the  captain,  who  had  been  on  leave,  was  expected  to  join 
us,  which  he  did  soon  after  our  arrival,  when  the  first 
lieutenant  made  his  reports  of  good  and  bad  conduct 
during  his  absence.  I  had  been  about  ten  days  doing  duty 
in  the  fore-top,  and  it  was  the  intention  of  Mr  Handstone, 
to  which  the  captain  seemed  not  disinclined,  to  have  given 
me  a  flogging  at  the  gun,  as  a  gratuity  for  losing  the  men. 
This  part  of  the  sentence,  however,  was  not  executed. 
I  continued  a  member  of  the  midshipmen's  mess,  but  was 
not  allowed  to  enter  the  berth :  my  meals  were  sent  to  me, 
and  I  took  them  solus  on  my  chest.  The  youngsters  spoke 
to  me,  but  only  by  stealth,  being  afraid  of  the  oldsters, 
who  had  sent  me  to  the  most  rigid  Coventry. 

My  situation  in  the  fore-top  was  nearly  nominal.  I 
went  aloft  when  the  hands  were  called,  or  in  my  watch, 
and  amused  myself  with  a  book  until  we  went  below, 
unless  there  was  any  little  duty  for  me  to  do,  which 
did  not   appear   above  my   strength.      The   men    doated 


The  Naval  Officer  tf 

on  me  as  a  martyr  in  their  cause,  and  delighted  in  giving 
me  every  instruction  in  the  art  of  knotting  and  splicing, 
rigging,  reefing,  furling,  &c,  &c. ;  and  I  honestly  own 
that  the  happiest  hours  I  had  passed  in  that  ship  were 
during  my  seclusion  among  these  honest  tars. 

Whether  my  enemies  discovered  this  or  not,  I  cannot 
say ;  but  shortly  after  our  arrival  I  was  sent  for  by  the 
captain  into  his  own  cabin,  where  I  received  a  lecture  on 
my  misconduct,  both  as  to  my  supposed  irritable  and 
quarrelsome  disposition,  and  also  for  losing  the  men  out 
of  the  boat.  "  In  other  respects,"  he  added,  "  your 
punishment  would  have  been  much  more  severe  but  for 
your  general  good  conduct ;  and  I  have  no  doubt,  from 
this  little  well-timed  severity,  that  you  will  in  future 
conduct  yourself  with  more  propriety.  I  therefore  release 
you  from  the  disgraceful  situation  in  which  you  are  placed, 
and  allow  you  to  return  to  your  duty  on  the  quarter-deck." 

The  tears  which  no  brutality  or  ill-treatment  could 
wring  from  me,  now  flowed  in  abundance,  and  it  was 
some  minutes  before  I  could  recover  myself  sufficiently 
to  thank  him  for  his  kindness,  and  to  explain  the  cause 
of  my  disgrace.  I  told  him,  that  since  I  had  joined  the 
ship  I  had  been  treated  like  a  dog ;  that  he  alone  had 
been  ignorant  of  it,  and  that  he  alone  had  behaved  to  me 
with  humanity.  I  then  related  all  my  sufferings,  from 
the  moment  of  that  fatal  glass  of  wine  up  to  the  time 
I  was  speaking.  I  did  not  conceal  the  act  of  cutting  down 
Murphy's  hammock,  nor  of  throwing  the  candlestick  at 
his  head.  I  assured  him  I  never  gave  any  provocation ; 
that  I  never  struck  without  being  first  stricken.  I  said, 
moreover,  that  I  would  never  receive  a  blow  or  be  called 
an  improper  name  without  resenting  it,  as  far  as  I  was 
able.  It  was  my  nature,  and  if  killed,  I  could  not  help 
it.  "  Several  men  have  run  away,"  said  I,  "  since  I  came 
into  the  ship  and  before,  and  the  officers  under  whose 
charge  they  were  only  received  a  reprimand,  while  I, 
who  have  just  come  to  sea,  have  been  treated  with  the 
greatest  and  most  degrading  severity." 


38  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

The  captain  listened  to  my  defence  with  attention,  and 
I  thought  seemed  very  much  struck  with  it.  I  afterwards 
learnt  that  Mr  Handstone  had  received  a  reprimand  for 
his  harsh  treatment  of  me ;  he  observed,  that  I  should 
one  day  turn  out  a  shining  character,  or  go  to  the  devil. 

It  appeared  pretty  evident  to  me,  that  however  I  might 
have  roused  the  pride  and  resentment  of  the  senior 
members  of  the  mess  by  my  resistance  to  arbitrary  power, 
that  I  had  gained  some  powerful  friends,  among  whom 
was  the  captain.  Many  of  the  officers  admired  that 
dogged,  "don't  care"  spirit  of  resistance  which  I  so 
perseveringly  displayed,  and  were  forced  to  admit  that 
I  had  right  on  my  side.  I  soon  perceived  the  change 
of  mind  by  the  frequency  of  invitations  to  the  cabin  and 
gun-room  tables.  The  youngsters  were  proud  to  receive 
me  again  openly  as  their  associate ;  but  the  oldsters  re- 
garded me  with  a  jealousy  and  suspicion  like  that  of  an 
unpopular  government  to  a  favourite  radical  leader. 

I  soon  arranged  with  the  boys  of  my  own  age  a  plan 
of  resistance,  or  rather  of  self-defence,  which  proved  of 
great  importance  in  our  future  warfare.  One  or  two  of 
them  had  nerve  enough  to  follow  it  up :  the  others  made 
fair  promises,  but  fell  off  in  the  hour  of  trial.  My  code 
consisted  of  only  two  maxims  :  the  first  was  always  to 
throw  a  bottle,  decanter,  candlestick,  knife,  or  fork,  at 
the  head  of  any  person  who  should  strike  one  of  us,  if 
the  assailant  should  appear  too  strong  to  encounter  in 
fair  fight.  The  second  was,  never  to  allow  ourselves  to 
be  unjustly  defrauded  of  our  rights ;  to  have  an  equal 
share  of  what  we  paid  equally  for  ;  and  to  gain  by  artifice 
that  which  was  withheld  by  force. 

I  explained  to  them  that  by  the  first  plan  we  should 
ensure  civility,  at  least ;  for  as  tyrants  are  generally 
cowards,  they  would  be  afraid  to  provoke  that  anger 
which  in  some  unlucky  moment  might  be  fatal  to  them, 
or  maim  them  for  life.  By  the  second,  I  promised  to 
procure  them  an  equal  share  in  the  good  things  of  this 
life,  the  greater  part  of  which  the  oldsters  engrossed  to 


The  Naval  Officer  39 

themselves :  in  this  latter  we  were  much  more  unanimous 
than  the  former,  as  it  incurred  less  personal  risk.  I  was 
the  projector  of  all  the  schemes  for  forage,  and  was 
generally  successful. 

At  length  we  sailed  to  join  the  fleet  off  Cadiz,  under 
the  command  of  Lord  Nelson.  I  shall  not  pretend  to 
describe  the  passage  down  Channel  and  across  the  Bay 
of  Biscay.  I  was  sea-sick  as  a  lady  in  a  Dover  packet, 
until  inured  to  the  motion  of  the  ship  by  the  merciless 
calls  to  my  duties  aloft,  or  to  relieve  the  deck  in  my 
watch. 

We  reached  our  station,  and  joined  the  immortal  Nelson 
but  a  few  hours  before  that  battle  in  which  he  lost  his 
life  and  saved  his  country.  The  history  of  that  important 
day  has  been  so  often  and  so  circumstantially  related,  that 
I  cannot  add  much  more  to  the  stock  on  hand.  I  am  only 
astonished,  seeing  the  confusion  and  invariable  variableness 
of  a  sea-fight,  how  so  much  could  be  known.  One 
observation  occurred  to  me  then,  and  I  have  thought  of 
it  ever  since  with  redoubled  conviction ;  this  was,  that 
the  admiral,  after  the  battle  began,  was  no  admiral  at  all : 
he  could  neither  see  nor  be  seen  ;  he  could  take  no  ad- 
vantage of  the  enemy's  weak  points  or  defend  his  own ; 
his  ship,  the  Victory,  one  of  our  finest  three-deckers, 
was,  in  a  manner,  tied  up  alongside  a  French  eighty-gun 
ship. 

These  observations  I  have  read  in  some  naval  work,  and 
in  my  mind  they  receive  ample  confirmation.  I  could  not 
help  feeling  an  agony  of  anxiety  (young  as  I  was)  for  my 
country's  glory,  when  I  saw  the  noble  leaders  of  our  two 
lines  exposed  to  the  united  fire  of  so  many  ships.  I 
thought  Nelson  was  too  much  exposed,  and  think  so  now. 
Experience  has  confirmed  what  youthful  fancy  suggested  ; 
the  enemy's  centre  should  have  been  macadamized  by  our 
seven  three-deckers,  some  of  which,  by  being  placed  in 
the  rear,  had  little  share  in  the  action  ;  and  but  for  the 
intimidation  which  their  presence  afforded,  might  as  well 
have  been  at  Spithead.    I  mean  no  reflection  on  the  officers 


40  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

who  had  charge  of  them  :  accidental  concurrence  of  light 
wind  and  station  in  the  line,  threw  them  at  such  a  distance 
from  the  enemy  as  kept  them  in  the  back  ground  the 
greater  part  of  the  day. 

Others,  again,  were  in  enviable  situations,  but  did  not, 
as  far  as  I  could  learn  from  the  officers,  do  quite  so  much 
as  they  might  have  done.  This  defect  on  our  part  being 
met  by  equal  disadvantages,  arising  from  nearly  similar 
causes,  on  that  of  the  enemy,  a  clear  victory  remained 
to  us.  The  aggregate  of  the  British  navy  is  brave  and 
good ;  and  we  must  admit  that  in  this  day  "when  England 
expected  every  man  to  do  his  duty,"  there  were  but  few 
who  disappointed  their  country's  hopes. 

When  the  immortal  signal  was  communicated,  I  shall 
never,  no,  never,  forget  the  electric  effect  it  produced 
through  the  fleet.  I  can  compare  it  to  nothing  so  justly 
as  to  a  match  laid  to  a  long  train  of  gunpowder  ;  and  as 
Englishmen  are  the  same,  the  same  feeling,  the  same 
enthusiasm,  was  displayed  in  every  ship  ;  tears  ran  down 
the  cheeks  of  many  a  noble  fellow  when  the  affecting 
sentence  was  made  known.  It  recalled  every  past  enjoy- 
ment, and  filled  the  mind  with  fond  anticipations  which, 
with  many,  were  never,  alas  !  to  be  realised.  They  went 
down  to  their  guns  without  confusion  ;  and  a  cool,  de- 
liberate courage  from  that  moment  seemed  to  rest  on  the 
countenance  of  every  man  I  saw. 

My  captain,  though  not  in  the  line,  was  no  niggard  in 
the  matter  of  shot,  and  though  he  had  no  real  business  to 
come  within  range  until  called  by  signal,  still  he  thought 
it  his  duty  to  be  as  near  to  our  ships  engaged  as  possible, 
in  order  to  afford  them  assistance  when  required.  I  was 
stationed  at  the  foremost  guns  on  the  main  deck,  and  the 
ship  cleared  for  action  ;  and  though  on  a  comparatively 
small  scale,  I  cannot  imagine  a  more  solemn,  grand,  or 
impressive  sight,  than  a  ship  prepared  as  ours  was  on  that 
occasion.  Her  noble  tier  of  guns,  in  a  line  gently  curving 
out  towards  the  centre  ;  the  tackle  laid  across  the  deck  ; 
the  shot  and  wads  prepared  in  ample  store  (round,  grape, 


The  Naval  Officer  41 

and  canister) ;  the  powder-boys,  each  with  his  box  full, 
seated  on  it,  with  perfect  apparent  indifference  as  to  the 
approaching  conflict.  The  captains  of  guns,  with  their 
priming  boxes  buckled  round  their  waists  ;  the  locks  fixed 
upon  the  guns ;  the  lanyards  laid  around  them ;  the 
officers,  with  their  swords  drawn,  standing  by  their  re- 
spective divisions. 

The  quarter-deck  was  commanded  by  the  captain  in 
person,  assisted  by  the  first  lieutenant,  the  lieutenant  of 
marines,  a  party  of  small-arm  men,  with  the  mate  and 
midshipmen,  and  a  portion  of  seamen  to  attend  the  braces 
and  fight  the  quarter-deck  guns.  The  boatswain  was 
on  the  forecastle ;  the  gunner  in  the  magazine,  to  send 
up  a  supply  of  powder  to  the  guns  ;  the  carpenter  watched 
and  reported,  from  time  to  time,  the  depth  of  water  in 
the  well ;  he  also  walked  round  the  wings  or  vacant  spaces 
between  the  ship's  side  and  the  cables,  and  other  stores. 
He  was  attended  by  his  mates,  who  were  provided  with 
shot-plugs,  oakum,  and  tallow,  to  stop  any  shot-holes 
which  might  be  made. 

The  surgeon  was  in  the  cock-pit  with  his  assistants. 
The  knives,  saws,  tourniquets,  sponges,  basins,  wine  and 
water,  were  all  displayed  and  ready  for  the  first  unlucky 
patient  that  might  be  presented.  This  was  more  awful 
to  me  than  anything  I  had  seen.  u  How  soon,"  thought 
I,  "may  I  be  stretched,  mangled  and  bleeding,  on  this 
table,  and  have  occasion  for  all  the  skill  and  all  the  in- 
struments I  now  see  before  me !  "  I  turned  away,  and 
endeavoured  to  forget  it  all. 

As  soon  as  the  fleet  bore  up  to  engage  the  enemy,  we 
did  the  same,  keeping  as  near  as  we  could  to  the  admiral, 
whose  signals  we  were  ordered  to  repeat.  I  was 
particularly  astonished  with  the  skilful  manner  in  which 
this  was  done.  It  was  wonderful  to  see  how  instantaneously 
the  same  flags  were  displayed  at  our  mast-heads  as  had 
been  hoisted  by  the  admiral ;  and  the  more  wonderful  this 
appeared  to  me,  since  his  flags  were  rolled  up  in  round 
balls,  which  were  not  broken  loose  until  they  had  reached 


42  Frank  Mildmay;  of, 

the  mast-head,  so  that  the  signal  officers  of  a  repeater  had 
to  make  out  the  number  of  the  flag  during  its  passage 
aloft  in  disguise.  This  was  done  by  the  power  of  good 
telescopes,  and  from  habit,  and  sometimes  by  anticipation 
of  the  signal  that  would  be  next  made. 

The  reader  may  perhaps  not  be  aware  that  among 
civilised  nations,  in  naval  warfare,  ships  of  the  line  never 
fire  at  frigates,  unless  they  provoke  hostility  by  inter- 
posing between  belligerent  ships,  or  firing  into  them,  as 
was  the  case  in  the  Nile,  when  Sir  James  Saumarez,  in 
the  Orion,  was  under  the  necessity  of  sinking  the  Artemise, 
which  he  did  with  one  broadside,  as  a  reward  for  her 
temerity.  Under  this  pax  in  bellum  sort  of  compact  we 
might  have  come  off  scot-free,  had  we  not  partaken  very 
liberally  of  the  shot  intended  for  larger  ships,  which  did 
serious  damage  among  our  people. 

The  two  British  lines  running  down  parallel  to  each 
other,  and  nearly  perpendicular  to  the  crescent  line  of  the 
combined  fleets,  was  the  grandest  sight  that  was  ever 
witnessed.  As  soon  as  our  van  was  within  gun-shot  of 
the  enemy,  they  opened  their  fire  on  the  Royal  Sovereign 
and  the  Victory  ;  but  when  the  first-named  of  these  noble 
ships  rounded  to,  under  the  stern  of  the  Santa  Anna,  and 
the  Victory  had  very  soon  after  laid  herself  on  board  the 
Redoubtable,  the  clouds  of  smoke  enveloped  both  fleets,  and 
little  was  to  be  seen  except  the  falling  of  masts,  and  here 
and  there,  as  the  smoke  blew  away,  a  ship  totally  dis- 
masted. 

One  of  these  proved  to  be  English,  and  our  captain, 
seeing  her  between  two  of  the  enemy,  bore  up  to  take  her 
in  tow  :  at  the  same  time,  one  of  our  ships  of  the  line 
opened  a  heavy  fire  on  one  of  the  French  line-of-battle 
ships,  unluckily  situated  in  a  right  line  between  us,  so  that 
the  shot  which  missed  the  enemy  sometimes  came  on 
board  of  us.  I  was  looking  out  of  the  bow  port  at  the 
moment  that  a  shot  struck  our  ship  on  the  stern  between 
wind  and  water.  It  was  the  first  time  I  had  ever  seen  the 
effect  of  a  heavy  shot ;  it  made  a  great  splash,  and  to  me 


The  Naval  Officer  43 

as  I  then  thought,  a  very  unusual  noise,  throwing  a  great 
deal  of  water  in  my  face.  I  very  naturally  started  back, 
as  I  believe  many  a  brave  fellow  has  done.  Two  of  the 
seamen  quartered  at  my  guns  laughed  at  me.  I  felt 
ashamed,  and  resolved  to  show  no  more  such  weakness. 

This  shot  was  very  soon  succeeded  by  some  others  not 
quite  so  harmless  :  one  came  into  the  bow  port,  and  killed 
the  two  men  who  had  witnessed  my  trepidation.  My  pride 
having  been  hurt  that  these  men  should  have  seen  me 
flinch,  I  will  own  that  I  was  secretly  pleased  when  I  saw 
them  removed  beyond  the  reach  of  human  interrogation. 
It  would  be  difficult  to  describe  my  feelings  on  this 
occasion.  Not  six  weeks  before,  I  was  the  robber  of  hen- 
roosts and  gardens — the  hero  of  a  horse-pond,  ducking  an 
usher — now  suddenly,  and  almost  without  any  previous 
warning  or  reflection,  placed  in  the  midst  of  carnage,  and 
an  actor  of  one  of  those  grand  events  by  which  the  fate  of 
the  civilised  world  was  to  be  decided. 

A  quickened  circulation  of  blood,  a  fear  of  immediate 
death,  and  a  still  greater  fear  of  shame,  forced  me  to 
an  involuntary  and  frequent  change  of  position ;  and  it 
required  some  time,  and  the  best  powers  of  intellect,  to 
reason  myself  into  that  frame  of  mind  in  which  I  could  feel 
as  safe  and  as  unconcerned  as  if  we  had  been  in  harbour. 
To  this  state  I  at  last  did  attain,  and  soon  felt  ashamed  of 
the  perturbation  under  which  I  had  laboured  before  the 
firing  began.  I  prayed,  it  is  true  :  but  my  prayer  was  not 
that  of  faith,  of  trust,  or  of  hope — I  prayed  only  for  safety 
from  imminent  personal  danger ;  and  my  orisons  consisted 
of  one  or  two  short,  pious  ejaculations,  without  a  thought 
of  repentance  for  the  past  or  amendment  for  the  future. 

But  when  we  had  once  got  fairly  into  action,  I  felt  no 
more  of  this,  and  beheld  a  poor  creature  cut  in  two  by  a 
shot  with  the  same  indifference  that  at  any  other  time  I 
should  have  seen  a  butcher  kill  an  ox.  "Whether  my  heart 
was  bad  or  not,  I  cannot  say  ;  but  I  certainly  felt  my 
curiosity  was  gratified  more  than  my  feelings  were  shocked, 
when  a  raking  shot  killed  seven  and  wounded  three  more. 


44  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

I  was  sorry  for  the  men,  and,  for  the  world,  would  not 
have  injured  them ;  but  I  had  a  philosophic  turn  of  mind  ; 
I  liked  to  judge  of  causes  and  effects  ;  and  I  was  secretly 
pleased  at  seeing  the  effect  of  a  raking  shot. 

Towards  four  p.m.  the  firing  began  to  abate,  the  smoke 
cleared  away,  and  the  calm  sea  became  ruffled  with  an 
increasing  breeze.  The  two  hostile  fleets  were  quiet 
spectators  of  each  other's  disasters.  "We  retained  posses- 
sion of  nineteen  or  twenty  sail  of  the  line.  Some  of  the 
enemy's  ships  were  seen  running  away  into  Cadiz  ;  while 
four  others  passed  to  windward  of  our  fleet,  and  made 
their  escape.  A  boat  going  from  our  ship  to  one  near  us, 
I  jumped  into  her,  and  learned  the  death  of  Lord  Nelson, 
which  I  communicated  to  the  captain,  who,  after  paying  a 
tribute  to  the  memory  of  that  great  man,  looked  at  me  with 
much  complacency.  I  was  the  only  youngster  that  had 
been  particularly  active,  and  he  immediately  despatched  me 
with  a  message  to  a  ship  at  a  short  distance.  The  first 
lieutenant  asked  if  he  should  not  send  an  officer  of  more 
experience.  "No,"  said  the  captain,  "he  shall  go;  the 
boy  knows  very  well  what  he  is  about !  "  and  away  I  went, 
not  a  little  proud  of  the  confidence  placed  in  me. 

Further  details  of  this  eventful  day  are  to  be  found  re- 
corded in  our  national  histories ;  it  will,  therefore,  be 
needless  to  repeat  them  here.  When  I  met  my  messmates 
at  supper  in  the  berth,  I  was  sorry  to  see  Murphy  among 
them.  I  had  flattered  myself  that  some  fortunate  shot 
would  have  for  ever  divested  me  of  any  further  care  on  his 
account ;  but  his  time  was  not  come. 

"  The  devil  has  had  a  fine  haul  to-day ! "  said  an  old 
master's  mate,  as  he  took  up  his  glass  of  grog. 

"  Pity  you,  and  some  others  I  could  name,  had  not  been 
in  the  net !  "  thinks  I  to  myself. 

"  I  hope  plenty  of  the  lieutenants  are  bowled  out !  "  said 
another;  "we  shall  stand  some  chance  then  of  a  little 
promotion  ! " 

When  the  hands  were  turned  up  to  muster,  the  number 
of  killed   amounted   to   nine,  and   wounded   to  thirteen. 


The  Naval  Officer  45 

When  this  was  made  known,  there  seemed  to  be  a  general 
smile  of  congratulation  at  the  number  fallen,  rather  than 
of  their  regret  for  their  loss.  The  vanity  of  the  officers 
seemed  tickled  at  the  disproportionate  slaughter  in  a  frigate 
of  our  size,  as  compared  to  what  they  had  heard  the  ships 
of  the  line  had  suffered. 

I  attended  the  surgeon  in  the  steerage,  to  which  place 
the  wounded  were  removed,  and  saw  all  the  amputations 
performed,  without  flinching  ;  while  men  who  had  behaved 
well  in  the  action  fainted  at  the  sight.  I  am  afraid  I  almost 
took  a  pleasure  in  observing  the  operations  of  the  surgeon, 
without  once  reflecting  on  the  pain  suffered  by  the  patient. 
Habit  had  now  begun  to  corrupt  my  mind.  I  was  not  cruel 
by  nature  ;  I  loved  the  deep  investigation  of  hidden  things  ; 
and  this  day's  action  gave  me  a  very  clear  insight  into  the 
anatomy  of  the  human  frame,  which  I  had  seen  cut  in  two 
by  shot,  lacerated  by  splinters,  carved  out  with  knives,  and 
separated  with  saws  ! 

Soon  after  the  action,  we  were  ordered  to  Spithead,  with 
duplicate  despatches.  One  morning  I  heard  a  midshipman 
say,  "  he  would  do  his  old  father  out  of  a  new  kit."  I  in- 
quired what  that  meant,  was  first  called  a  greenhorn  for  not 
knowing,  and  then  had  it  explained  to  me.  "  Don't  you 
know,"  said  my  instructor,  "  that  after  every  action  there 
is  more  canvas,  rope,  and  paint,  expended  in  the  warrant- 
officer's  accounts  than  were  destroyed  by  the  enemy  ? " 

I  assented  to  this  on  the  credit  of  the  informer,  without 
knowing  whether  it  was  true  or  false,  and  he  proceeded. 
"How  are  we  to  have  white  hammock-clothes,  sky  sail 
masts,  and  all  other  finery,  besides  a  coat  of  paint  for  the 
ship's  sides  every  six  weeks,  if  we  don't  expend  all  these 
things  in  action,  and  pretend  they  were  lost  overboard,  or 
destroyed  ?  The  list  of  defects  are  given  in  to  the  admiral, 
he  signs  the  demand,  and  the  old  commissioner  must  come 
down  with  the  stores,  whether  he  will  or  not.  I  was  once 
in  a  sloop  of  war,  when  a  large  forty-four-gun  frigate  ran 
on  board  of  us,  carried  away  her  jibboom,  and  left  her  large 
fine-weather  jib  hanging  on  our  foreyard.     It  was  made  of 


46  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

beautiful  Russia  duck,  and  to  be  sure,  didn't  we  make  a 
gang  of  white  hammock-cloths,  fore  and  aft,  besides  white 
trousers  for  the  men  ?  Well  now,  you  must  know,  that  as 
we  make  Uncle  George  suffer  for  the  stores,  so  I  mean  to 
make  dad  suffer  for  my  traps.  I  mean  to  lose  my  chest 
overboard  with  all  my  '  kit,'  and  return  home  to  him  and 
the  old  woman  just  fit  for  the  fashion." 

"  And  do  you  really  mean  to  deceive  your  father  and 
mother  in  that  way?"  replied  I,  with  much  apparent 
innocence. 

"  Do  I  ?  to  be  sure  I  do,  you  flat.  How  am  I  to  keep 
up  my  stock,  if  I  don't  make  the  proper  use  of  an  action 
like  this  that  we  have  been  in  ? " 

I  took  the  hint :  it  never  once  occurred  to  me,  that  if  I 
had  fairly  and  candidly  stated  to  my  parents  that  my  stock 
of  clothes  were  insufficient  for  my  appearance  as  a  gentle- 
man on  the  quarter-deck,  that  they  would  cheerfully  have 
increased  it  to  any  reasonable  extent.  But  I  had  been 
taught  artifice  and  cunning ;  I  could  tell  the  truth  where 
I  thought  it  served  my  purpose,  as  well  as  a  lie ;  but  here 
I  thought  deception  was  a  proof  at  once  of  spirit  and  of 
merit ;  and  I  resolved  to  practise  it,  if  only  to  raise  myself 
a  trifling  degree  in  the  estimation  of  my  unworthy 
associates.  I  had  become  partial  to  deception  from  habit, 
and  preferred  exercising  my  own  ingenuity  in  outwitting 
my  father,  to  obtaining  what  I  needed  by  more  straight- 
forward and  honourable  measures. 

The  ship  needed  some  repairs,  and  by  the  indulgence  of 
the  captain,  who  was  pleased  with  my  conduct,  I,  who 
required  so  much  instruction  in  the  nature  and  cause  of 
her  defects,  was  allowed  to  be  absent  while  they  were 
made  good.  By  this  oversight,  I  lost  all  that  improvement 
which  I  should  have  gained  by  close  attention  to  the  un- 
rigging or  shipping  of  the  ship ;  the  manner  of  returning 
her  stores ;  taking  out  her  masts  and  ballast,  and  seeing 
her  taken  into  dock;  the  shape  of  her  bottom,  and  the 
good  or  bad  qualities  which  might  be  supposed  to  accelerate 
or  retard  her  movements.     All  this  was  sacrificed  to  the 


The  Naval  Officer  47 

of  seeing  my  parents ;  to  the  vainglory  of 
boasting  of  the  action  in  which  I  had  been  present ;  and, 
perhaps,  of  being  encouraged  to  tell  lies  of  things  which  I 
never  saw,  and  to  talk  of  feats  which  I  never  performed. 
I  loved  effect ;  and  I  timed  the  moment  of  my  return  to  my 
father's  house  (through  a  correspondence  with  my  sister) 
to  be  just  as  a  large  party  had  sat  down  to  a  sumptuous 
dinner.  I  had  only  been  absent  three  months,  it  is  true ; 
but  it  was  my  first  cruise,  and  then  "  I  had  seen  so  much, 
and  been  in  such  very  interesting  situations." 


Chapter  IV 

'Twill  be  time  to  go  home.  What  shall  I  say  I  have  done  ?  It  must  be  a 
very  plausive  invention  that  carries  it.  I  find  my  tongue  is  too  fool- 
hardy. — Shakespeare. 

Reaching  the  well  known  mansion  of  my  father,  I  knocked 
softly  at  the  front  door,  was  admitted,  and,  without  saying 
a  word  to  the  servant,  rushed  to  the  head  of  the  dining- 
room  table,  and  threw  my  arms  round  my  mother's  neck, 
who  only  screamed,  "  Good  heavens,  my  child !  "  and  fell 
into  hysterics.  My  father,  who  was  in  the  very  midst  of 
helping  his  soup,  jumped  up  to  embrace  me  and  assist  my 
mother.  The  company  all  rose,  like  a  covey  of  partridges  : 
one  lady  spoiled  a  new  pink  satin  gown  by  a  tip  of  the 
elbow  from  her  next  neighbour,  just  as  a  spoonful  of  soup 
had  reached  "the  rosy  portals  of  her  mouth;"  the  little 
spaniel,  Carlo,  set  up  a  loud  and  incessant  bark ;  and  in 
one  minute  the  whole  comely  arrangement  of  the  feast  was 
converted  into  anarchy  and  confusion. 

Order  was,  however,  soon  restored :  my  mother  re- 
covered her  composure — my  father  shook  me  by  the  hand 
— the  company  all  agreed  that  I  was  a  very  fine,  interesting 
boy — the  ladies  resumed  their  seats,  and  I  had  the  satis- 
faction to  observe  that  my  sudden  appearance  had  not 
deprived  them  of  their  appetites.     I  soon  convinced  them 


48  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

that  in  this  particular,  at  least,  I  also  was  in  high  training. 
My  midshipman's  life  had  neither  disqualified  nor  disgusted 
me  with  the  luxuries  of  the  table ;  nor  did  I  manifest  the 
slightest  backwardness  or  diffidence  when  invited  by  the 
gentlemen  to  take  wine.  I  answered  every  question  with 
such  fluency  of  speech,  and  such  compound  interest  of 
words,  as  sometimes  caused  the  propounder  to  regret  that 
he  had  put  me  to  the  trouble  of  speaking. 

I  gave  a  very  florid  description  of  the  fight ;  praised 
some  admirals  and  captains  for  their  bravery,  sneered  at 
others,  and  accused  a  few  of  right  down  misconduct. 
Now  and  then,  by  way  of  carrying  conviction  into  my 
auditors'  very  souls,  I  rammed  home  my  charges  with 
an  oath,  at  which  my  father  looked  grave,  my  mother 
held  up  her  finger,  the  gentlemen  laughed,  and  the  ladies 
all  said  with  a  smile,  "  Sweet  boy  ! — what  animation  ! — 
what  sense  ! — what  discernment !  "  Thinks  I  to  myself, 
"  You  are  as  complete  a  set  of  gulls  as  ever  picked  up 
a  bit  of  biscuit  !  " 

Next  morning,  while  my  recent  arrival  was  still  warm, 
I  broke  the  subject  of  my  chest  to  my  father  and  mother 
at  breakfast ;  indeed,  my  father,  very  fortunately  for  me, 
began  by  inquiring  how  my  stock  of  clothes  held  out. 

"Bad  enough,"  said  I,  as  I  demolished  the  third  egg, 
for  I  still  had  a  good  appetite  at  breakfast. 

"  Bad  enough ! "  repeated  my  father,  "  why  you  were 
extremely  well  fitted  with  everything." 

"  Very  true,  sir,"  said  I ;  "  but  then  you  don't  know 
what  a  man-of-war  is  in  clearing  for  action ;  everything 
not  too  hot  or  too  heavy  is  chucked  overboard  with  as 
little  ceremony  as  I  swallow  this  muffin.  *  Whose  hat-box 
is  this  ? '  'Mr  Spratt's,  sir.'  < D— n  Mr  Spratt,  I'll  teach 
him  to  keep  his  hat-box  safe  another  time ;  over  with  it ' 
— and  away  it  went  over  the  lee  gangway.  Spratt's  father 
was  a  hatter  in  Bond  Street,  so  we  all  laughed." 

"  And  pray,  Frank,"  said  my  mother,  "  did  your  box 
go  in  the  same  way  ?  " 

"  It  kept  company,  I  assure  you.     I  watched  them  go 


The  Naval  Officer  49 

astern,  with  tears  in  my  eyes,  thinking  how  angry  you 
would  be." 

"  Well,  but  the  chest,  Frank,  what  became  of  the  chest  ? 
You  said  that  the  Vandals  had  some  respect  for  heavy 
objects,  and  yours,  I  am  sure,  to  my  cost,  had  very 
considerable  specific  gravity." 

"  That's  very  true,  sir  j  but  you  have  no  notion  how 
much  it  was  lightened  the  first  day  the  ship  got  to  sea. 
I  was  lying  on  it  as  sick  as  a  whale — the  first  lieutenant 
and  mate  of  the  lower  deck  came  down  to  see  if  the  men's 
berths  were  clean ;  I,  and  my  Noah's  ark,  lay  slap  in  the 
way — '  Who  have  we  here  ? '  said  Mr  Handstone.  '  Only 
Mr  Mildmay,  and  his  chest,  sir,'  said  the  sergeant  of 
marines,  into  whose  territory  I  acknowledged  I  had  made 
very  considerable  incroachments.  '  Only  ! '  repeated  the 
lieutenant,  *  I  thought  it  had  been  one  of  the  big  stones 
for  the  new  bridge,  and  the  owner  of  it  a  drunken  Irish 
hodman.'  I  was  too  sick  to  care  much  about  what  they 
said." 

"  You  forget  your  breakfast,"  said  my  sister. 

"  I'll  thank  you  for  another  muffin,  and  another  cup 
of  coffee,"  said  I. 

"  Poor  fellow  !  "  said  my  mother,  "  what  he  must  have 
suffered ! " 

"  Oh !  I  have  not  told  you  half  yet,  my  dear  mother  j 
I  only  wonder  I  am  alive." 

"  Alive,  indeed !  "  said  my  Aunt  Julia ;  "  here,  my 
dear,  here  is  a  small  trifle  to  help  you  to  replenish  the 
stock  you  have  lost  in  the  service  of  your  country.  Noble 
little  fellow  !  what  should  we  do  without  sailors  ?  " 

I  pocketed  the  little  donation — it  was  a  ten-pounder; 
finished  my  breakfast,  by  adding  a  slice  of  ham  and  half 
a  French  roll  to  the  articles  already  shipped,  and  then 
continued  my  story.  "  The  first  thing  Mr  Handstone 
said,  was,  that  my  chest  was  too  big ;  and  the  next  thing 
he  said,  was,  'tell  the  carpenter  I  want  him.  Here,  Mr 
Adze,  take  this  chest ;  reduce  it  one  foot  in  length,  and 
one  in  height.'     '  Ay,  ay,  sir,'  said  Adze  5  '  come,  young 

M  D 


50  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

gentleman,  move  off,  and  give  me  your  key.'  Sick  as  I 
was,  I  knew  remonstrance  or  prayer  were  alike  useless, 
so  I  crawled  off  and  presented  my  key  to  the  carpenter, 
who  very  deliberately  unlocked,  and  as  expeditiously  un- 
loaded all  my  treasure.  The  midshipmen  all  gathered 
round.  The  jars  of  preserves  and  the  cakes  of  ginger- 
bread which  you,  my  dearest  mother,  had  so  nicely  packed 
up  for  me,  were  seized  with  greediness,  and  devoured 
before  my  face.  One  of  them  thrust  his  filthy  paw  into 
a  pot  of  black  currant  jelly,  which  you  gave  me  for  a  sore 
throat,  and  held  a  handful  of  it  to  my  mouth,  knowing 
at  the  same  time  that  I  was  ready  to  be  sea-sick  in  his 
hand." 

"  I  shall  never  bear  the  sight  of  jelly  again,"  said  my 
sister. 

"  The  nasty  brutes  !  "  said  my  aunt. 

"Well,"  I  resumed,  "all  my  nice  things  went;  and, 
sick  as  I  was,  I  wished  them  gone ;  but  when  they  laughed 
and  spoke  disrespectfully  of  you,  my  dear  mother,  I  was 
ready  to  fly  up  and  tear  their  eyes  out." 

"  Never  mind,  my  dear  boy,"  said  my  mother,  "  we  will 
make  all  right  again." 

"  So  I  suppose  we  must/'  said  my  father  ;  "  but  no  more 
jelly  and  ginger-bread,  if  you  please,  my  dear.  Proceed 
with  your  story,  Frank." 

"  Well,  sir,  in  half-an-hour  my  chest  was  ready  for  me 
again;  but  while  they  were  about  it,  they  might  have 
taken  off  another  foot,  for  I  found  ample  space  to  stow 
what  the  plunderers  had  left.  The  preserve  jars,  being 
all  empty,  were  given  of  course  to  the  marines  ;  and  some 
other  heavy  articles  being  handed  away,  I  was  no  longer 
puzzled  how  to  stow  them.  After  this,  you  know,  sir, 
we  had  the  action,  and  then  chest  and  bedding  and  all 
went  to  the ." 

"  Do  they  throw  all  the  chests  and  bedding  overboard 
on  these  occasions  ? "  said  my  father,  with  a  cool  and 
steady  gaze  in  my  face,  which  I  had  some  trouble  in  facing 
back  again. 


The  Naval  Officer  51 

"  Yes  ;  always  everything  that  is  in  the  way,  and  my 
chest  was  in  the  way,  and  away  it  went.  You  know,  sir, 
I  could  not  knock  down  the  first  lieutenant :  they  would 
have  hanged  me  at  the  yard-arm." 

"  Thank  Heaven,  you  did  not,  my  love,"  said  my 
mother  ;  "  what  has  happened  can  be  repaired,  but  that 
could  never  have  been  got  over.  And  your  books,  what 
is  become  of  them  ?  " 

"  All  went  in  the  lump.  They  are  somewhere  near  the 
entrance  of  the  Gut  of  Gibraltar — all  lost  except  my 
Bible  :  I  saved  that,  as  I  happened  to  be  reading  it  in  my 
berth  the  night  before  the  action  !  " 

"  Excellent  boy  !  "  exclaimed  my  mother  and  aunt  both 
together  ;  "lam  sure  he  speaks  the  truth." 

"  I  hope  he  does,"  said  my  father,  drily  \  "  though  it 
must  be  owned  that  these  sea-fights,  however  glorious  for 
Old  England,  are  very  expensive  amusements  to  the 
parents  of  young  midshipmen,  unless  the  boys  happen  to 
be  knocked  on  the  head." 

Whether  my  father  began  to  smell  a  rat,  or  whether  he 
was  afraid  of  putting  more  questions,  for  fear  of  hearing 
more  fibs,  I  know  not,  but  I  was  not  sorry  when  the 
narrative  was  concluded,  and  I  dismissed  with  flying 
colours. 

To  my  shame  be  it  spoken,  the  Bible  that  assisted  me  so 
much  in  my  mother's  opinion,  had  never  but  once  been 
opened  since  I  had  left  home,  and  that  was  to  examine  if 
there  were  any  bank-notes  between  the  leaves,  having 
heard  of  such  things  being  done,  merely  to  try  whether 
young  gentlemen  did  "  search  the  Scriptures." 

My  demands  were  all  made  good.  I  believe  with  the 
greater  celerity,  as  I  began  to  grow  very  tiresome  ;  my 
sea  manners  were  not  congenial  to  the  drawing-room.  My 
mother,  aunt,  and  sister,  were  very  different  from  the 
females  I  had  been  in  the  habit  of  seeing  on  board  the 
frigate.  My  oaths  and  treatment  of  the  servants,  male  and 
female,  all  conspired  to  reconcile  the  family  to  my  depar- 
ture.    They  therefore  heard  with  pleasure  that  my  leave 


52  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

was  expired  5  and,  having  obtained  all  I  wanted,  I  did  not 
care  one  pin  how  soon  I  got  clear  of  them ;  so  when  the 
coach  came  to  the  door,  I  jumped  in,  drove  to  the  Golden 
Cross,  and  the  next  morning  rejoined  my  ship. 

I  was  received  with  cheerfulness  and  cordiality  by  most 
of  my  shipmates,  except  Murphy  and  some  of  his  cronies  ; 
nor  did  one  feeling  of  regret  or  compunction  enter  my 
mind  for  the  lies  and  hypocrisy  with  which  I  had  deceived 
and  cheated  my  parents.  The  reader  will  probably  be 
aware  that  except  the  circumstance  of  reducing  the  size  of 
my  chest,  and  the  seizure  and  confiscation  of  my  jars  and 
gingerbread,  there  was  scarcely  a  vestige  of  truth  in  my 
story.  That  I  had  lost  most  of  my  things  was  most  true ; 
but  they  were  lost  by  my  own  carelessness,  and  not  by 
being  thrown  overboard.  After  losing  the  key  of  my 
chest,  which  happened  the  day  I  joined,  a  rapid  decrease  of 
my  stock  convinced  the  first  lieutenant  that  a  much  smaller 
package  might  be  made  of  the  remainder,  and  this  was  the 
sole  cause  of  my  chest  being  converted  into  a  razee. 

My  fresh  stock  of  clothes  I  brought  down  in  a  trunk, 
which  I  found  very  handy,  and  contrived  to  keep  in  better 
order  than  I  had  formerly  done.  The  money  given  me  to 
procure  more  bedding,  I  pocketed  :  indeed  I  began  to  grow 
cunning.  I  perceived  that  the  best-dressed  midshipmen 
had  always  the  most  pleasant  duties  to  perform.  I  was 
sent  to  bring  off  parties  of  ladies  who  came  to  visit  the 
ship,  and  to  dine  with  the  captain  and  officers.  I  had  a 
tolerably  good  address,  and  was  reckoned  a  very  handsome 
boy ;  and  though  stout  of  my  age,  the  ladies  admitted  me 
to  great  freedom,  under  pretence  of  my  being  still  a  dear 
little  darling  of  a  middy,  and  so  perfectly  innocent  in  my 
mind  and  manners.  The  fact  is,  I  was  kept  in  much 
better  order  on  board  my  ship  than  I  was  in  my  father's 
house — so  much  for  the  habit  of  discipline  ;  but  this  was 
all  outside  show.  My  father  was  a  man  of  talent,  and 
knew  the  world,  but  he  knew  nothing  of  the  navy  5  and 
when  I  had  got  him  out  of  his  depth,  I  served  him  as 
I  did  the  usher :  that  is,  I  soused  him  and  his  company 


The  Naval  Officer  $3 

head  over  heels  in  the  horse-pond  of  their  own  ignorance. 
Such  is  the  power  of  local  knowledge  and  cunning  over 
abstruse  science  and  experience. 

So  much  assurance  had  I  acquired  by  my  recent  success 
in  town,  that  my  self-confidence  was  increased  to  an  in- 
credible degree.  My  apparent  candour,  impudence,  and 
readiness  gave  a  currency  to  the  coinings  of  my  brain 
which  far  surpassed  the  dull  matter-of-fact  of  my  unwary 
contemporaries. 

Of  my  boyish  days,  I  have  now  almost  said  enough. 
The  adventures  of  a  midshipman,  during  the  first  three 
years  of  his  probationary  life,  might,  if  fully  detailed, 
disgust  more  than  amuse,  and  corrupt  more  than  they 
would  improve ;  I  therefore  pass  on  to  the  age  of  sixteen, 
when  my  person  assumed  an  outline  of  which  I  had  great 
reason  to  be  proud,  since  I  often  heard  it  the  subject  of 
encomium  among  the  fair  sex,  and  their  award  was  con- 
firmed even  by  my  companions. 

My  mind  kept  pace  with  my  person  in  every  acquire- 
ment save  those  of  morality  and  religion.  In  these,  alas ! 
I  became  daily  more  and  more  deficient,  and  for  a  time 
lost  sight  of  them  altogether.  The  manly,  athletic  frame, 
and  noble  countenance,  with  which  I  was  blessed,  served 
to  render  me  only  more  like  a  painted  sepulchre — all  was 
foul  within.  Like  a  beautiful  snake,  whose  poison  is 
concealed  under  the  gold  and  azure  of  its  scales,  my  in- 
ward man  was  made  up  of  pride,  revenge,  deceit,  and 
selfishness,  and  my  best  talents  were  generally  applied  to 
the  worst  purposes. 

In  the  knowledge  of  my  profession  I  made  rapid  pro- 
gress, because  I  delighted  in  it,  and  because  my  mind, 
active  and  elastic  as  my  body,  required  and  fed  on  scientific 
research.  I  soon  became  an  expert  navigator  and  a  good 
practical  seaman,  and  all  this  I  acquired  by  my  own 
application.  We  had  no  schoolmaster;  and  while  the 
other  youngsters  learned  how  to  work  a  common  day's 
work  from  the  instruction  of  the  older  midshipmen,  I,  who 
was  no  favourite  with  the  latter,  was  rejected  from  their 


54  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

coteries.  I  determined,  therefore,  to  supply  the  deficiency 
myself,  and  this  I  was  enabled  to  do  by  the  help  of  a  good 
education.  I  had  been  well  grounded  in  mathematics,  and 
was  far  advanced  in  Euclid  and  algebra,  previous  to  leav- 
ing school:  thus  I  had  a  vast  superiority  over  my  com- 
panions. 

The  great  difficulty  was  to  renew  my  application  to 
study,  after  many  months  of  idleness.  This,  however, 
I  accomplished,  and  after  having  been  one  year  at  sea, 
kept  a  good  reckoning  and  sent  in  my  day's  work  to  the 
captain.  The  want  of  instruction  which  I  first  felt  in  the 
study  of  navigation,  proved  in  the  end  of  great  service 
to  me :  I  was  forced  to  study  more  intensely,  and  to 
comprehend  the  principles  on  which  I  founded  my  theory, 
so  that  I  was  prepared  to  prove  by  mathematical  demonstra- 
tion, what  others  could  only  assert  who  worked  by  "  in- 
spection." 

The  pride  of  surpassing  my  seniors,  and  the  hope  of 
exposing  their  ignorance,  stimulated  me  to  inquiry,  and 
roused  me  to  application.  The  books  which  I  had  reported 
lost  to  my  father,  were  handed  out  from  the  bottom  of 
my  chest,  and  read  with  avidity  :  many  others  I  borrowed 
from  the  officers,  whom  I  must  do  the  justice  to  say, 
not  only  lent  them  with  cheerfulness,  but  offered  me  the 
use  of  their  cabin  to  study  in. 

Thus  I  acquired  a  taste  for  reading.  I  renewed  my 
acquaintance  with  the  classic  authors.  Horace  and  Virgil, 
licentious  but  alluring,  drove  me  back  to  the  study  of 
Latin,  and  fixed  in  my  mind  a  knowledge  of  the  dead 
languages,  at  the  expense  of  my  morals.  Whether  the 
exchange  were  profitable  or  not,  is  left  to  wiser  heads 
than  mine  to  decide ;  my  business  is  with  facts  only. 

Thus,  while  the  ungenerous  malice  of  the  elder  mid- 
shipmen thought  to  have  injured  me  by  leaving  me  in 
ignorance,  they  did  me  the  greatest  possible  service,  by 
throwing  me  on  my  own  resources.  I  continued  on  pretty 
nearly  the  same  terms  with  my  shipmates  to  the  last. 
With  some  of  the  mess-room  officers  I  was  still  in  dis- 


The  Naval  Officer  $$ 

grace,  and  was  always  disliked  by  the  oldsters  in  my  own 
mess ;  with  the  younger  midshipmen  and  the  foremast 
men  I  was  a  favourite.  I  was  too  proud  to  be  a  tyrant, 
and  the  same  feeling  prevented  my  submitting  to  tyranny. 
As  I  increased  in  strength  and  stature,  I  showed  more 
determined  resistance  to  arbitrary  power :  an  occasional 
turn-up  with  boys  of  my  own  size  (for  the  best  friends 
will  quarrel),  and  the  supernumerary  midshipmen  sent  on 
board  for  a  passage,  generally  ended  in  establishing  my 
dominion  or  insuring  for  me  a  peaceable  neutrality. 

I  became  a  scientific  pugilist,  and  now  and  then  took  a 
brush  with  an  oldster ;  and  although  overpowered,  yet 
I  displayed  so  much  prowess,  that  my  enemies  became 
cautious  how  they  renewed  a  struggle  which  they  per- 
ceived became  daily  more  arduous ;  till  at  last,  like  the 
lion's  whelp,  my  play  ceased  to  be  a  joke,  and  I  was  left 
to  enjoy  that  tranquillity,  which  few  found  it  safe  or  con- 
venient to  disturb.  By  degrees  the  balance  of  power  was 
fairly  established,  and  even  Murphy  was  awed  into  civil 
silence. 

In  addition  to  my  well  known  increase  in  personal 
strength,  I  acquired  a  still  greater  superiority  over  my 
companions  by  the  advantage  of  education ;  and  this  I 
took  great  care  to  make  them  feel  on  every  occasion. 
I  was  appealed  to  in  all  cases  of  literary  disputation,  and 
was,  by  general  consent,  the  umpire  of  the  steerage. 
I  was  termed  "good  company,"  —  not  always  to  the 
advantage  of  the  possessor  of  such  a  talent ;  for  it  often 
tends,  as  it  did  with  me,  to  lead  into  very  bad  company. 
I  had  a  fine  voice,  and  played  on  one  or  two  instruments. 
This  frequently  procured  me  invitations  to  the  gun-room, 
and  excuses  from  duty,  together  with  more  wine  or  grog 
than  was  of  service  to  me,  and  conversation  that  I  had 
better  not  have  heard. 

We  were  ordered  on  a  cruise  to  the  coast  of  France ; 
and  as  the  junior  port-admiral  had  a  spite  against  our 

captain,  he  swore  by that  go  we  should,  ready  or 

not  ready.     Our  signal  was  made  to  weigh,  while  lighters 


56  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

of  provisions,  and  the  powder-hoy  with  our  powder, 
were  lying  alongside — the  quarter-deck  guns  all  adrift, 
and  not  even  mounted.  Gun  after  gun  from  the  Royal 
William  was  repeated  by  the  Gladiator,  the  flag-ship  of 
the  harbour-admiral,  and  with  our  signal  to  part  company. 

The  captain,  not  knowing  how  the  story  might  travel 
up  by  telegraph  to  London,  and  conscious,  perhaps,  that 
he  had  left  a  little  too  much  to  the  first  lieutenant,  "  tore 
the  ship  away  by  the  hair  of  the  head" — unmoored,  bundled 
everything  in  upon  deck  out  of  the  lighters — turned  all 
the  women  out  of  the  ship,  except  five  or  six  of  the  most 
abandoned — and,  with  a  strong  northerly  wind,  ran  down 
to  Yarmouth  Roads,  and  through  the  Needles  to  sea,  in 
a  state  of  confusion  and  disaster  which  I  hope  never  to 
see  again. 

The  rear-admiral,  Sir  Hurricane  Humbug,  stood  on  the 
platform  looking  at  us  (I  was  afterwards  told),  and  was 
heard  to  exclaim,  "D — n  his  eyes"  (meaning  our  captain), 
"  there  he  goes  at  last !  I  was  afraid  that  that  fellow 
would  have  grounded  on  his  beef  bones  before  we  should 
have  got  him  out !  " 

"The  more  haste  the  less  speed,"  is  oftener  true  in 
naval  affairs  than  in  any  other  situation  of  life.  With  us 
it  had  nearly  proved  fatal  to  the  ship.  Had  we  met  with 
an  enemy,  we  must  either  have  disgraced  the  flag  by 
running  away,  or  been  taken. 

No  sooner  clear  of  the  Needles  than  night  came  on,  and 
with  it  a  heavy  gale  of  wind  at  north-north-west.  The 
officers  and  men  were  at  work  till  four  in  the  morning, 
securing  the  boats,  booms,  and  anchors,  clearing  the 
decks  of  provisions,  and  setting  up  the  lower  rigging, 
which  by  the  labour  of  the  ship,  had  begun  to  stretch  to 
an  alarming  degree  ;  by  great  exertion  this  was  accom- 
plished, and  the  guns  secured  before  the  gale  had  increased 
to  a  hurricane. 

About  nine  the  next  morning,  a  poor  marine,  a  recruit 
from  Portsmouth,  unfortunately  fell  overboard ;  and 
though  many  brave  fellows  instantly  jumped  into  one  of 


The  Naval  Officer  $y 

the  quarter-boats,  and  begged  to  be  lowered  down  to 
save  him,  the  captain,  who  was  a  cool  calculator,  thought 
the  chance  of  losing  seven  men  was  greater  than  that  of 
saving  one,  so  the  poor  fellow  was  left  to  his  fate.  The 
ship,  it  is  true,  was  hove  to ;  but  she  drifted  to  leeward 
much  faster  than  the  unfortunate  man  could  swim,  though 
he  was  one  of  the  best  swimmers  I  ever  beheld. 

It  was  heart-breaking  to  see  the  manly  but  ineffectual 
exertions  made  by  this  gallant  youth  to  regain  the  ship ; 
but  all  his  powers  only  served  to  prolong  his  misery. 
We  saw  him  nearly  a  mile  to  windward,  at  one  moment 
riding  on  the  top  of  the  mountainous  wave,  at  the  next, 
sinking  into  the  deep  valley  between,  till  at  last  we  saw 
him  no  more !  His  sad  fate  was  long  deplored  in  the 
ship.  I  thought  at  the  time  that  the  captain  was  cruel 
in  not  sending  a  boat  for  him ;  but  I  am  now  convinced, 
from  experience,  that  he  submitted  only  to  hard  necessity, 
and  chose  the  lesser  evil  of  the  two. 

The  fate  of  this  young  man  was  a  serious  warning  to 
me.  I  had  become,  from  habit,  so  extremely  active,  and 
so  fond  of  displaying  my  newly-acquired  gymnastics, 
called  by  the  sailors  "  sky-larking "  that  my  speedy  exit 
was  often  prognosticated  by  the  old  quarter-masters,  and 
even  by  the  officers.  It  was  clearly  understood  that  I 
was  either  to  be  drowned  or  was  to  break  my  neck ;  for 
the  latter  I  took  my  chance  pretty  fairly,  going  up  and 
down  the  rigging  like  a  monkey.  Few  of  the  topmen 
could  equal  me  in  speed,  still  fewer  surpass  me  in  feats 
of  daring  activity.  I  could  run  along  the  topsail  yards 
out  to  the  yard-arm,  go  from  one  mast  to  the  other  by 
the  stays,  or  down  on  deck  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye 
by  the  topsail  halyards ;  and,  as  I  knew  myself  to  be 
an  expert  swimmer,  I  cared  little  about  the  chance  of 
being  drowned ;  but  when  I  witnessed  the  fate  of  the 
poor  marine,  who  I  saw  could  swim  as  well,  if  not  better 
than  myself,  I  became  much  more  cautious.  I  perceived 
that  there  might  be  situations  in  which  swimming  could 
be  of  no  use ;  and  however  beloved  I  might  have  been 


58  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

by  the  sailors,  it  was  evident  that,  even  if  they  had  the 
inclination,  they  might  not  always  have  the  power  to 
relieve  me :  from  this  time,  I  became  much  more  guarded 
in  my  movements  aloft. 

A  circumstance  occurred  shortly  after  we  got  to  sea 
which  afforded  me  infinite  satisfaction.  Murphy,  whose 
disposition  led  him  to  bully  every  one  whom  he  thought 
he  could  master,  fixed  a  quarrel  on  a  very  quiet,  gentle- 
manly young  man,  a  supernumerary  midshipman,  who 
had  come  on  board  for  a  passage  to  his  own  ship,  then 
down  in  the  Bay  of  Biscay.  The  young  man,  resenting 
this  improper  behaviour,  challenged  Murphy  to  fight,  and 
the  challenge  was  accepted ;  but  as  the  supernumerary 
was  engaged  to  dine  with  the  captain,  he  proposed  that 
the  meeting  should  not  take  place  till  after  dinner,  not 
wishing  to  exhibit  a  black  eye  at  the  captain's  table.  This 
was  considered  by  Murphy  as  an  evasion ;  and  he  added 
further  insult  by  saying  that  he  supposed  his  antagonist 
wanted  Dutch  courage,  and  that  if  he  did  not  get  wine 
enough  in  the  cabin,  he  would  not  fight  at  all. 

The  high-spirited  youth  made  no  reply  to  this  insolence ; 
but,  having  dressed  himself,  went  up  to  dinner  ;  that  over, 
and  after  the  muster  at  quarters,  he  called  Mr  Murphy 
into  the  steerage,  and  gave  him  as  sound  a  drubbing  as 
he  ever  received  in  his  life.  The  fight,  or  set-to,  lasted 
only  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  and  the  young  supernumerary 
displayed  so  much  science,  and  such  a  thorough  use  of 
his  fists,  as  to  defy  the  brutal  force  of  his  opponent,  who 
could  not  touch  him,  and  who  was  glad  to  retreat  to  his 
berth,  followed  by  the  groans  and  hisses  of  all  the  midship- 
men, in  which  I  most  cordially  joined. 

After  so  clear  a  proof  of  the  advantages  of  the  science 
of  self-defence,  I  determined  to  acquire  it ;  and,  with  the 
young  stranger  for  my  tutor,  I  soon  became  a  proficient 
in  the  art  of  boxing,  and  able  to  cope  with  Murphy  and 
his  supporters. 

There  was  a  part  of  my  duty  which,  I  am  free  to  con- 
fess, I  hated :  this  was  keeping  watch  at  night.     I  loved 


The  Naval  Officer  59 

sleep,  and,  after  ten  o'clock,  I  could  not  keep  my  eyes 
open.  Neither  the  buckets  of  water  which  were  so 
liberally  poured  over  me  by  the  midshipmen,  under  the 
facetious  appellation  of  "  blowing  the  grampus,"  nor  any 
expostulation  or  punishments  inflicted  on  me  by  the  first 
lieutenant  could  rouse  my  dormant  energies  after  the  first 
half  of  the  watch  was  expired.  I  was  one  of  the  most 
determined  votaries  of  Somnus  ;  and  for  his  sake,  endured 
every  sort  of  persecution.  The  first  lieutenant  took  me 
into  his  watch,  and  tried  every  means,  both  of  mildness 
and  coercion,  to  break  me  of  this  evil  habit.  I  was  sure, 
however,  to  escape  from  him,  and  to  conceal  myself  in 
some  hole  or  corner,  where  I  slept  out  the  remainder  of 
the  watch  ;  and  the  next  morning,  I  was,  as  regularly, 
mast-headed,  to  do  penance  during  the  greater  part  of  the 
day  for  my  deeds  of  darkness.  I  believe  that  of  the  first 
two  years  of  my  servitude,  one-half  of  my  waking  hours, 
at  least,  were  passed  aloft. 

I  took  care,  however,  to  provide  myself  with  books, 
and,  on  the  whole,  was  perhaps  better  employed  than  I 
should  have  been  in  my  berth  below.  Handstone,  though 
a  martinet,  was  a  gentleman;  and  as  he  felt  a  great 
interest  in  the  young  officers  in  the  ship,  so  he  took  much 
pains  in  the  instruction  and  improvement  of  them.  He 
frequently  expostulated  with  me  on  the  great  impropriety 
of  my  conduct  j  my  answer  invariably  was,  that  I  was  as 
sensible  of  it  as  he  could  be,  but  that  I  could  not  help  it ; 
that  I  deserved  all  the  punishment  I  met  with,  and  threw 
myself  entirely  on  his  mercy.  He  used  frequently  to  call 
me  over  to  the  weather  side  of  the  deck,  when  he  would 
converse  with  me  on  any  topic  which  he  thought  might 
interest  or  amuse  me.  Finding  I  was  tolerably  well 
read  in  history,  he  asked  my  opinion,  and  gave  me  his 
own  with  great  good  sense  and  judgment ;  but  such  was 
the  irresistible  weight  of  my  eyelids,  that  I  used,  when 
he  was  in  the  midst  of  a  long  dissertation,  to  slip  down 
the  gangway-ladder  and  leave  him  to  finish  his  discourses 
to  the  wind. 


60  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

Now,  when  this  occurred,  I  was  more  severely  punished 
than  on  any  other  occasion ;  for,  to  the  neglect  of  duty,  I 
added  contempt  both  of  his  rank  and  the  instruction  he  was 
offering  to  me.  His  wrath  was  also  considerably  increased 
when  he  only  discovered  my  departure  by  the  tittering  of 
the  other  midshipmen  and  the  quartermaster  at  the  conn. 

One  evening,  I  completed  my  disgrace  with  him,  though 
a  great  deal  might  be  said  in  my  own  favour.  He  had  sent 
me  to  the  fore-topmast  head,  at  seven  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing, and  very  unfeelingly,  or  forgetfully,  kept  me  there  the 
whole  day.  When  he  went  off  deck  to  his  dinner,  I  came 
down  into  the  top,  made  a  bed  for  myself  in  one  of  the 
top-gallant  studding  sails,  and,  desiring  the  man  who  had 
the  look-out  to  call  me  before  the  lieutenant  was  likely  to 
come  on  deck,  I  very  quietly  began  to  prepare  a  sacrifice 
to  my  favourite  deity,  Somnus ;  but  as  the  look-out  man 
did  not  see  the  lieutenant  come  up,  I  was  caught  napping 
just  at  dusk,  when  the  lieutenant  came  on  deck,  and  did  me 
the  honour  to  remember  where  he  had  left  me.  Looking 
at  the  fore-topmast  head,  he  called  me  down. 

Like  Milton's  devils,  who  were  "  found  sleeping  by  one 
they  dread,"  up  I  sprung,  and  regained  my  perch  by  the 
topsail-tie,  supposing,  or  rather  hoping,  that  he  would  not 
see  me  before  the  mast,  in  the  obscurity  of  the  evening ; 
but  he  was  too  lynx-eyed,  and  had  not  presence  of  mind 
enough  not  to  see  what  he  should  not  have  seen.  He  called 
to  the  three  men  in  the  top,  and  inquired  where  I  was  ? 
They  replied  at  the  mast-head.  "  What ! "  exclaimed 
Handstone,  with  an  oath  ;  "  did  I  not  see  him  this  moment, 
go  up  by  the  topsail-tie  ?  " 

"  No,  sir,"  said  the  men  ;  "  he  is  now  asleep  at  the 
mast-head." 

"  Come  down  here,  you  lying  rascals,  every  one  of  you," 
said  the  lieutenant,  "  and  I'll  teach  you  to  speak  the  truth  !  " 

I,  who  had  by  this  time  quietly  resumed  my  station,  was 
ordered  down  along  with  them ;  and  we  all  four  stood  on 
the  quarter-deck,  while  the  following  interrogations  were 
put  to  us  : — 


The  Naval  Officer  61 

"  Now,  sir,"  said  the  first  lieutenant  to  the  captain  of  the 
top,  "  how  dare  you  tell  me  that  that  young  gentleman  was 
at  the  mast-head,  when  I  myself  saw  him  *  shinning  '  up  by 
the  topsail-tie  ? " 

I  was  sorry  for  the  men,  who,  to  save  me,  had  got  them- 
selves into  jeopardy  ;  and  I  was  just  going  to  declare  the 
truth,  and  take  the  whole  odium  upon  myself,  when,  to  my 
utter  astonishment,  the  man  boldly  answered,  "He  was  at 
the  mast-head,  sir,  upon  my  honour." 

"  Your  honour  !  "  cried  the  lieutenant,  with  contempt ; 
then,  turning  to  the  other  men,  he  put  the  same  question 
to  them  both  in  succession,  and  received  the  same  positive 
answers ;  so  that  I  really  began  to  think  I  had  been  at  the 
mast-head  all  the  time,  and  had  been  dreaming  I  was  in  the 
top.  At  last,  turning  to  me,  he  said,  "  Now,  sir,  I  ask  you, 
on  your  honour,  as  an  officer  and  a  gentleman,  where  were 
you  when  I  first  hailed  ?  " 

"  At  the  mast-head,  sir,"  said  I. 

"  Be  it  so,"  he  replied ;  "  as  you  are  an  officer  and  a 
gentleman,  I  am  bound  to  believe  you."  Then  turning  on 
his  heels,  he  walked  away  in  a  greater  rage  than  I  ever 
remember  to  have  seen  him. 

I  plainly  perceived  that  I  was  not  believed,  and  that  I 
had  lost  his  good  opinion.  Yet,  to  consider  the  case  fairly 
and  impartially,  how  could  I  have  acted  otherwise  ?  I  had 
been  much  too  long  confined  to  the  mast-head — as  long  as 
a  man  might  take  to  go  from  London  to  Bath  in  a  stage- 
coach ;  I  had  lost  all  my  meals  5  and  these  poor  fellows,  to 
save  me  from  further  punishment,  had  voluntarily  exposed 
themselves  to  a  flogging  at  the  gangway  by  telling  a  bare- 
faced falsehood  in  my  defence.  Had  I  not  supported  them, 
they  would  certainly  have  been  flogged,  and  I  should  have 
lost  myself  with  every  person  aboard ;  I  therefore  came  to 
that  paradoxical  conclusion  on  the  spot,  namely,  that,  as  a 
man  of  honour  and  a  gentleman,  I  was  bound  to  tell  a  lie 
in  order  to  save  these  poor  men  from  a  cruel  punishment. 

I  am  sensible  that  this  is  a  case  to  lay  before  the  bench 
of  bishops  j  and  though  I  never  pretended  to  the  constancy 


62  Frank  Mildmay;  or,. 

of  a  martyr,  had  the  consequences  been  on  myself  alone,  I 
should  have  had  no  hesitation  in  speaking  the  truth.  The 
lieutenant  was  to  blame,  first,  by  too  great  a  severity  ;  and, 
secondly,  by  too  rigid  an  inquiry  into  a  subject  not  worth 
the  trouble.  Still  my  conscience  smote  me  that  I  had  done 
wrong ;  and  when  the  rage  of  the  lieutenant  had  abated, 
so  as  to  insure  the  impunity  of  the  men,  I  took  the  earliest 
opportunity  of  explaining  to  him  the  motives  for  my  con- 
duct, and  the  painful  situation  in  which  I  stood.  He 
received  my  excuses  coldly,  and  we  never  were  friends 
again. 

Our  captain,  who  was  a  dashing  sort  of  a  fellow,  con- 
trived to  brush  up  the  enemy's  quarters,  on  the  coast  of 
France.  On  one  of  our  boat  expeditions,  I  contrived  to 
slip  away  with  the  rest ;  we  landed,  and  surprised  a 
battery,  which  we  blew  up,  and  spiked  the  guns.  The 
French  soldiers  ran  for  their  lives,  and  we  plundered  the 
huts  of  some  poor  fishermen.  I  went  in  with  the  rest, 
in  hopes  of  finding  plunder,  and  for  my  deserts  caught 
a  Tartar.  A  large  skait  lay  with  its  mouth  open,  into 
which  I  thrust  my  fore-finger,  to  drag  him  away  ;  the 
animal  was  not  dead,  and  closing  his  jaws,  divided  my 
finger  to  the  bone— this  was  the  only  blood  spilt  on  the 
occasion. 

Though  guilty  myself,  I  was  sorry  to  see  the  love  of 
plunder  prevail  so  extensively  among  us.  The  sailors 
took  away  articles  utterly  useless  to  them ;  and,  after 
carrying  them  a  certain  distance,  threw  them  down  for 
others  equally  useless.  I  have  since  often  reflected  how 
justly  I  was  punished  for  my  fault,  and  how  needlessly  we 
inflicted  the  horrors  of  war  on  those  inoffensive  and 
unhappy  creatures. 

Our  next  attempt  was  of  a  more  serious  nature,  and 
productive  of  still  greater  calamity  to  the  unoffending  and 
industrious,  the  usual  victims  of  war,  while  the  instigators 
are  reposing  in  safety  on  their  down  beds. 


The  Naval  Officer  63 

Chapter    V 

My  life  is  spanned  already  ; 

Go  with  me,  like  good  angels,  to  my  end. 

«  Henry  VIII." 
Danger,  like  an  ague,  subtly  taints 
Even  then  when  we  sit  idly  in  the  sun. 

"  Troilus  and  Cressida." 

I  had  never  been  able  to  regain  the  confidence  and  esteem 
of  the  first  lieutenant  since  the  unfortunate  affair  of  the 
mast-head.  He  was  certainly  an  excellent  and  a  correct 
officer,  too  much  so  to  overlook  what  he  considered  a 
breach  of  honour.  I,  therefore,  easily  reconciled  myself 
to  a  separation,  which  occurred  very  soon  after.  We 
chased  a  ship  into  the  Bay  of  Arcasson,  when,  as  was 
customary,  she  sought  safety  under  a  battery ;  and  the 
captain,  according  to  our  custom,  resolved  to  cut  her 
out. 

For  this  purpose,  the  boats  were  manned  and  armed, 
and  every  preparation  made  for  the  attack  on  the  following 
morning.  The  command  of  the  expedition  was  given  to  the 
first  lieutenant,  who  accepted  of  it  with  cheerfulness,  and 
retired  to  his  bed  in  high  spirits,  with  the  anticipation  of 
the  honour  and  profit  which  the  dawn  of  day  would  heap 
upon  him.  He  was  proverbially  brave  and  cool  in  action, 
so  that  the  seamen  followed  him  with  confidence  as  to 
certain  victory.  Whether  any  ill-omened  dreams  had 
disturbed  his  rest,  or  whether  any  reflections  on  the 
difficult  and  dangerous  nature  of  the  service  had  alarmed 
him,  I  could  not  tell  -,  but  in  the  morning  we  all  observed 
a  remarkable  change  in  his  deportment.  His  ardour  was 
gone  ;  he  walked  the  deck  with  a  slow  and  measured  pace, 
apparently  in  deep  thought ;  and,  contrary  to  his  usual 
manner,  was  silent  and  melancholy,  abstracted,  and  in- 
attentive to  the  duties  of  the  ship. 

The  boats  prepared  for  the  service  were  manned  5  the 


64  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

officers  had  taken  their  seats  in  them ;  the  oars  were 
tossed  up ;  the  eyes  of  the  young  warriors  beamed  with 
animation,  and  we  waited  for  Mr  Handstone,  who  still 
walked  the  deck,  absorbed  in  his  own  reflections.  He 
was  at  length  recalled  to  a  sense  of  his  situation  by  the 
captain,  who,  in  a  tone  of  voice  more  than  usually  loud, 
asked  him  if  he  intended  to  take  the  command  of  the 
expedition  ?  He  replied,  "  most  certainly  ;  "  and  with 
a  firm  and  animated  step,  crossed  the  quarter-deck,  and 
went  into  his  boat. 

I,  following,  seated  myself  by  his  side ;  he  looked  at 
me  with  a  foreboding  indifference  ;  had  he  been  in  his 
usual  mood,  he  would  have  sent  me  to  some  other  boat. 
We  had  a  long  pull  before  we  reached  the  object  of  our 
intended  attack,  which  we  found  moored  close  in  shore,  and 
well  prepared  for  us.  A  broadside  of  grape-shot  was  the 
first  salute  we  received.  It  produced  the  same  effect  on 
our  men  as  the  spur  to  a  fiery  steed.  We  pulled  alongside, 
and  began  to  scramble  up  in  the  best  manner  we  could. 
Handstone  in  an  instant  regained  all  his  wonted  animation, 
cheered  his  men,  and  with  his  drawn  sword  in  his  hand, 
mounted  the  ship's  side,  while  our  men  at  the  same  time 
poured  in  volleys  of  musketry,  and  then  followed  their 
intrepid  leader. 

In  our  boat,  the  first  alongside,  eleven  men,  out  of 
twenty-four,  lay  killed  or  disabled.  Disregarding  these, 
the  lieutenant  sprang  up.  I  followed  close  to  him;  he 
leaped  from  the  bulwark  in  upon  her  deck,  and,  before 
I  could  lift  my  cutlass  in  his  defence,  fell  back  upon  me, 
knocked  me  down  in  his  fall,  and  expired  in  a  moment. 
He  had  thirteen  musket-balls  in  his  chest  and  stomach. 

I  had  no  time  to  disengage  myself  before  I  was  trampled 
on,  and  nearly  suffocated  by  the  pressure  of  my  shipmates, 
who,  burning  to  gain  the  prize,  or  to  avenge  our  fall, 
rushed  on  with  the  most  undaunted  bravery.  I  was 
supposed  to  be  dead,  and  treated  accordingly,  my  poor 
body  being  only  used  as  a  stop  for  the  gangway,  where 
the  ladder  was  unshipped.     There  I  lay  fainting  with  the 


The  Naval  Officer  6$ 

pressure,  and  nearly  suffocated  with  the  blood  of  my 
brave  leader,  on  whose  breast  my  face  rested,  with  my 
hands  crossed  over  the  back  of  my  head,  to  save  my  skull, 
if  possible,  from  the  heels  of  my  friends,  and  the  swords 
of  my  enemies ;  and  while  reason  held  her  seat,  I  could 
not  help  thinking  that  I  was  just  as  well  where  I  was, 
and  that  a  change  of  position  might  not  be  for  the 
better. 

About  eight  minutes  decided  the  affair,  though  it 
certainly  did  seem  to  me,  in  my  then  unpleasant  situation, 
much  longer.  Before  it  was  over  I  had  fainted,  and  before 
I  regained  my  senses  the  vessel  was  under  weigh,  and  out 
of  gunshot  from  the  batteries. 

The  first  moments  of  respite  from  carnage  were  em- 
ployed in  examining  the  bodies  of  the  killed  and  wounded. 
I  was  numbered  among  the  former,  and  stretched  out 
between  the  guns  by  the  side  of  the  first  lieutenant  and 
the  other  dead  bodies.  A  fresh  breeze  blowing  through 
the  ports  revived  me  a  little,  but,  faint  and  sick,  I  had 
neither  the  power  nor  inclination  to  move  j  my  brain  was 
confused  ;  I  had  no  recollection  of  what  had  happened, 
and  continued  to  lie  in  a  sort  of  stupor,  until  the  prize 
came  alongside  of  the  frigate,  and  I  was  roused  by  the 
cheers  of  congratulation  and  victory  from  those  who  had 
remained  on  board. 

A  boat  instantly  brought  the  surgeon  and  his  assistants 
to  inspect  the  dead  and  assist  the  living.  Murphy  came 
along  with  them.  He  had  not  been  of  the  boarding  party ; 
and  seeing  my  supposed  lifeless  corpse,  he  gave  it  a  slight 
kick,  saying,  at  the  same  time,  "  Here  is  a  young  cock 
that  has  done  crowing !  Well,  for  a  wonder,  this  chap 
has  cheated  the  gallows." 

The  sound  of  the  fellow's  detested  voice  was  enough  to 
recall  me  from  the  grave,  if  my  orders  had  been  signed : 
I  faintly  exclaimed,  "  You  are  a  liar !  "  which,  even  with 
all  the  melancholy  scene  around  us,  produced  a  burst  of 
laughter  at  his  expense.  I  was  removed  to  the  ship,  put 
to  bed,  and  bled,  and  was  soon  able  to  narrate  the  parti- 

M  E 


66  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

culars  of  my  adventure;  but  I  continued  a  long  while 
dangerously  ill. 

The  soliloquy  of  Murphy  over  my  supposed  dead  body, 
and  my  laconic  reply,  were  the  cause  of  much  merriment 
in  the  ship :  the  midshipmen  annoyed  him  by  asserting 
that  he  had  saved  my  life,  as  nothing  but  his  hated  voice 
could  have  awoke  me  from  my  sleep  of  death. 

The  fate  of  the  first  lieutenant  was  justly  deplored  by 
all  of  us ;  though  I  cannot  deny  my  Christian-like  acqui- 
escence in  the  will  of  Providence  in  this,  as  well  as  on  a 
former  occasion,  when  the  witnesses  of  my  weakness  had 
been  removed  for  ever  out  of  my  way.  As  I  saw  it  was 
impossible  to  regain  his  good  opinion,  I  thought  it  was 
quite  as  well  that  we  should  part  company.  That  he  had 
a  strong  presentiment  of  his  death  was  proved  ;  and 
though  I  had  often  heard  these  instances  asserted,  I  never 
before  had  it  so  clearly  brought  home  to  my  senses. 

The  prize  was  called  UAimable  Julie,  laden  with  coffee, 
cotton,  and  indigo;  mounted  fourteen  guns;  had,  at  the 
commencement  of  the  action,  forty-seven  men,  of  whom 
eight  were  killed,  and  sixteen  wounded.  The  period  of 
our  return  into  port,  according  to  our  orders,  happened  to 
coincide  with  this  piece  of  good  fortune,  and  we  came  up 
to  Spithead,  where  our  captain  met  with  a  hearty  welcome 
from  the  admiral. 

Having  delivered  his  "  butcher's  bill,"  i.e.  the  list  of 
killed  and  wounded,  together  with  an  account  of  our 
defects,  they  were  sent  up  to  the  Admiralty ;  and,  by 
return  of  post,  we  were  ordered  to  fit  foreign :  and 
although  no  one  on  board,  not  even  the  captain,  was 
supposed  to  know  our  destination,  the  girls  on  the  Point 
assured  us  it  was  the  Mediterranean ;  and  this  turned  out 
to  be  the  fact. 

A  few  days  only  were  spent  in  hurried  preparation, 
during  which  I  continued  to  write  to  my  father  and 
mother.  In  return  I  received  all  I  required,  which  was 
a  remittance  in  cash.  This  I  duly  acknowledged  by  a  few 
lines  as  the  ship  was  unmooring.     We   sailed,  and  soon 


The  Naval  Officer  6j 

after  arrived  without  accident  at  Gibraltar,  where  we 
found  general  orders  for  any  ship  that  might  arrive  from 
England  to  proceed  and  join  the  admiral  at  Malta.  In  a 
few  hours  our  provisions  and  water  were  complete ;  but 
we  were  not  in  so  much  haste  to  arrive  at  Malta  as  we 
were  to  quit  Gibraltar — hugging  the  Spanish  coast,  in 
hopes  of  picking  up  something  to  insure  us  as  hearty  a 
welcome  at  Valette  as  we  found  on  our  last  return  to 
Portsmouth. 

Early  on  the  second  morning  of  our  departure  we  made 
Cape  de  Gaete.  As  the  day  dawned  we  discovered  four 
sail  in  the  wind's  eye,  and  close  in  shore.  The  wind  was 
light,  and  all  sail  was  made  in  chase.  "We  gained  very 
little  on  them  for  many  hours,  and  towards  evening  it  fell 
calm.  The  boats  were  then  ordered  to  pursue  them,  and 
we  set  off,  diverging  a  little  from  each  other's  course,  or, 
as  the  French  would  say,  deployee,  to  give  a  better  chance  of 
falling  in  with  them.  I  was  in  the  gig  with  the  master, 
and,  that  being  the  best  running  boat,  we  soon  came  up 
with  one  of  the  feluccas.  We  fired  musketry  at  her  :  but 
having  a  light  breeze,  she  would  not  bring-to.  We  then 
took  good  aim  at  the  helmsman,  and  hit  him.  The 
man  only  shifted  the  helm  from  his  right  hand  to  his  left, 
and  kept  on  his  course.  We  still  kept  firing  at  this  intrepid 
fellow,  and  I  felt  it  was  like  wilful  murder,  since  he  made 
no  resistance,  but  steadily  endeavoured  to  escape. 

At  length  we  got  close  under  the  stern,  and  hooked  on 
with  our  boat-hook.  This  the  Spaniards  unhooked,  and 
we  dropped  astern,  having  laid  our  oars  in  ;  but  the  breeze 
dying  entirely  away,  we  again  pulled  up  alongside,  and 
took  possession.  The  poor  man  was  still  at  the  helm, 
bleeding  profusely.  We  offered  him  every  assistance,  and 
asked  why  he  did  not  surrender  sooner.  He  replied  that 
he  was  an  old  Castilian.  Whether  he  meant  that  an  earlier 
surrender  would  have  disgraced  him,  or  that  he  contem- 
plated, from  his  former  experience,  a  chance  of  escape  to 
the  last  moment,  I  cannot  tell.  Certain  it  is  that  no  one 
ever  behaved  better ;  and  I  felt  that  I  would  have  given 


68  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

all  I  possessed  to  have  healed  the  wounds  of  this  patient, 
meek,  and  undaunted  old  man,  who  uttered  no  complaint, 
but  submitted  to  his  fate  with  a  magnanimity  which  would 
have  done  credit  to  Socrates  himself.  He  had  received 
four  musket-balls  in  his  body,  and,  of  course,  survived  his 
capture  but  a  very  few  hours. 

We  found  to  our  surprise  that  this  vessel,  with  the 
three  others,  one  of  which  was  taken  by  another  of  our 
boats,  were  from  Lima.  They  were  single-masted,  about 
thirty  tons  burthen,  twelve  men  each,  and  were  laden  with 
copper,  hides,  wax,  and  cochineal,  and  had  been  out  five 
months.  They  were  bound  to  Valentia,  from  which  they 
were  only  one  day's  sail  when  we  intercepted  them.  Such 
is  the  fortune  of  war  !  This  gallant  man,  after  a  voyage 
of  incredible  labour  and  difficulty,  would  in  a  few  hours 
have  embraced  his  family,  and  gladdened  their  hearts  with 
the  produce  of  honest  industry  and  successful  enterprise  ; 
when,  in  a  moment,  all  their  hopes  were  blasted  by  our 
legal  murder  and  robbery ;  and  our  prize-money  came  to 
our  pockets  with  the  tears,  if  not  the  curses,  of  the  widow 
and  the  orphan ! 

From  some  information  which  the  captain  obtained  in 
the  prize,  he  was  induced  to  stand  over  towards  the 
Balearic  Islands.  We  made  Ivica,  and  stood  past  it ;  then 
ran  for  Palma  Bay  in  the  island  of  Majorca ;  here  we  found 
nothing,  to  our  great  disappointment,  and  continued  our 
course  round  the  island. 

An  event  occurred  here,  so  singular  as  scarcely  to  be 
credible ;  but  the  fact  is  well  attested,  as  there  were 
others  who  witnessed  it  beside  myself.  The  water  was 
smooth,  and  the  day  remarkably  fine  ;  we  were  distant 
from  the  shore  more  than  a  mile  and  a  quarter,  when  the 
captain,  wishing  to  try  the  range  of  the  main-deck  guns, 
which  were  long  eighteen-pounders,  ordered  the  gunner  to 
elevate  one  of  them  and  fire  it  towards  the  land.  The 
gunner  asked  whether  he  should  point  the  gun  at  any 
object.  A  man  was  seen  walking  on  the  white  sandy 
beach,  and  as  there  did  not  appear  to  be   the  slightest 


The  Naval  Officer  69 

chance  of  hitting  him,  for  he  only  looked  like  a  speck,  the 
captain  desired  the  gunner  to  fire  at  him ;  he  did  so,  and 
the  man  fell.  A  herd  of  bullocks  at  this  moment  was  seen 
coming  out  of  the  woods,  and  the  boats  were  sent  with  a 
party  to  shoot  some  of  them  for  the  ship's  company. 

When  we  landed  we  found  that  the  ball  had  cut  the 
poor  man  in  two  ;  and  what  made  the  circumstance  more 
particularly  interesting  was,  that  he  was  evidently  a  man 
of  consequence.  He  was  well  dressed,  had  on  black 
breeches  and  silk  stockings  ;  he  was  reading  Ovid's  Meta- 
morphoses, and  still  grasped  the  book,  which  I  took  out  of 
his  hand. 

We  have  often  heard  of  the  miraculous  powers  ascribed 
to  a  chance  shot,  but  never  could  we  have  supposed  that 
this  devilish  ball  could  have  gone  so  far,  or  done  so  much 
mischief.  We  buried  the  remains  of  the  unfortunate  gentle- 
man in  the  sand ;  and  having  selected  two  or  three 
bullocks  out  of  the  herd,  shot  them,  skinned  and  divided 
them  into  quarters,  loaded  our  boat,  and  returned  on 
board.  I  had  taken  the  book  out  of  the  hand  of  the 
deceased,  and  from  his  neck  a  small  miniature  of  a 
beautiful  female.  The  brooch  in  his  shirt  I  also  brought 
away  ;  and  when  I  gave  an  account  to  the  captain  of  what 
had  happened,  I  offered  him  these  articles.  He  returned 
them  all  to  me,  desired  me  to  keep  them  until  I  could  see 
any  of  the  friends  of  the  deceased,  and  appeared  so  much 
distressed  at  the  accident,  that  we  never  mentioned  it 
afterwards ;  and  in  the  course  of  the  time  we  were 
together,  it  was  nearly  forgotten.  The  articles  remained 
in  my  possession  unnoticed  for  many  years. 

Two  days  after,  we  fell  in  with  a  vessel  of  suspicious 
appearance;  and  it  being  calm,  the  boats  were  sent  in 
chase.  They  found  her,  on  their  approach,  to  be  a  xebeque, 
under  French  colours ;  but  these  they  very  soon  hauled 
down,  and  showed  no  others.  As  we  came  within  hail, 
they  told  us  to  keep  off,  and  that  if  we  attempted  to  board 
they  should  fire  into  us.  This  was  not  a  threat  likely  to 
deter  a  British  officer,  and  particularly  such  fire-eaters  as 


yo  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

ours.  So  to  it  we  went,  and  a  desperate  struggle  ensued, 
the  numbers  being  nearly  equal  on  both  sides  ;  but  they 
had  the  advantage  of  their  own  deck  and  bulwarks.  We 
got  on  board,  however,  and  in  a  few  minutes  gained 
possession,  with  a  loss,  on  our  side,  of  sixteen  ;  and  on 
that  of  our  opponent's  of  twenty-six,  killed  and  wounded. 

But  great  was  our  sorrow  and  disappointment  when  we 
discovered  that  we  had  shed  the  blood  of  our  friends, 
while  we  had  lost  our  own.  The  vessel,  it  appeared,  was 
a  Gibraltar  privateer ;  they  took  us  for  French,  our  boats 
being  fitted  with  thoels  and  grummets  for  the  oars,  in  the 
French  fashion  ;  and  we  supposed  them  to  be  French  from 
their  colours  and  the  language  in  which  they  hailed  us.  In 
this  affair  we  had  three  officers  killed  or  wounded,  and 
some  of  our  best  men.  The  privateer  was  manned  by  a 
mixed  crew  of  all  nations,  but  chiefly  Greeks ;  and 
although  ostensibly  with  a  commission  signed  by  the 
Governor  of  Gibraltar,  were  no  doubt  little  scrupulous  as 
to  the  colours  of  any  vessel  they  might  encounter,  provided 
she  was  not  too  strong  for  them. 

After  this  unfortunate  mistake  we  proceeded  to  Malta : 
the  captain  expecting  a  severe  rebuke  from  his  admiral, 
for  his  rashness  in  sending  away  his  boats  to  attack  a 
vessel  without  knowing  her  force.  Fortunately  for  him, 
the  admiral  was  not  there ;  and  before  we  met  him,  the 
number  of  prizes  we  had  taken  were  found  sufficient  in  his 
eyes  to  cover  our  multitude  of  sins,  so  the  affair  blew  over. 

While  we  lay  in  Malta  Harbour,  my  friend  Murphy  fell 
overboard  one  night,  just  after  all  the  boats  were  hoisted 
in ;  he  could  not  swim,  and  would  have  been  drowned  if  I 
had  not  jumped  overboard  and  held  him  up  until  a  boat 
was  lowered  down  to  our  assistance.  The  officers  and  ship's 
company  gave  me  more  credit  for  this  action  than  I  really 
deserved.  To  have  saved  any  person  under  such  circum- 
stances, they  said,  was  a  noble  deed  ;  but  to  risk  my  life 
for  a  man  who  had  always,  from  my  first  coming  into  the 
ship,  been  my  bitterest  enemy,  was  more  than  they  could 
have  expected,  and  was  undoubtedly  the  noblest  revenge 


The  Naval  Officer  71 

that  I  could  have  taken.  But  they  were  deceived — they 
knew  me  not :  it  was  my  vanity,  and  the  desire  of  oppress- 
ing my  enemy  under  an  intolerable  weight  of  obligation, 
that  induced  me  to  rush  to  his  rescue;  moreover,  as  I 
stood  on  the  gangway  witnessing  his  struggles  for  life,  I 
felt  that  I  was  about  to  lose  all  the  revenge  I  had  so  long 
laid  up  in  store ;  in  short,  I  could  not  spare  him,  and  only 
saved  him,  as  a  cat  does  a  mouse,  to  torment  him. 

Murphy  acknowledged  his  obligations,  and  said  the 
terrors  of  death  were  upon  him ;  but  in  a  few  days  forgot 
all  I  had  done  for  him,  consummated  his  own  disgrace,  and 
raised  my  character  on  the  ruins  of  his  own.  On  some 
frivolous  occasion  he  threw  a  basin  of  dirty  water  in  my 
face  as  I  passed  through  the  steerage ;  this  was  too  good 
an  opportunity  to  gratify  my  darling  passion.  I  had  long 
watched  for  an  occasion  to  quarrel  with  him  ;  but  as  he 
had  been  ill  during  our  passage  from  Gibraltar  to  Malta,  I 
could  not  justify  any  act  of  aggression.  He  had  now 
recovered,  and  was  in  the  plentitude  of  his  strength,  and  I 
astonished  him  by  striking  the  first  blow. 

A  set-to  followed  ;  I  brought  up  all  my  scientific  powers 
in  aid  of  my  strength  and  the  memory  of  former  injuries. 
I  must  do  him  the  justice  to  say  he  never  showed  more 
game — but  he  had  everything  to  contend  for;  if  I  was 
beaten  I  was  only  where  I  was  before,  but  with  him  the 
case  would  have  been  different.  A  fallen  tyrant  has  no 
friends.  Stung  to  madness  by  the  successful  hits  I  planted 
in  his  face,  he  lost  his  temper,  while  I  was  cool ;  he  fought 
wildly,  I  stopped  all  his  blows,  and  paid  them  with 
interest.  He  stood  forty-three  rounds,  and  then  gave  in 
with  his  eyes  bunged  up,  and  his  face  so  swollen  and 
so  covered  with  blood,  as  not  to  be  known  by  his  friends 
if  he  had  had  any. 

I  had  hardly  a  mark;  most  of  our  midshipmen  were 
absent  in  prizes ;  but  the  two  seniors  of  our  berth,  an  pld 
master's  mate  past  promotion,  and  the  surgeon's  assistant, 
who  had  held  my  wrist  when  I  was  cobbed,  were 
present  as  the  supporters  of  Murphy  during  the  combat. 


72  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

I  always  determined  whenever  I  gained  a  battle  to  follow 
it  up.  The  shouts  of  victory  resounded  in  the  berth — the 
youngsters  joined  with  me  in  songs  of  triumph,  and  gave 
great  offence  to  the  trio.  The  young  Esculapius,  a  white- 
faced,  stupid,  pock-marked,  unhealthy-looking  man,  was 
fool  enough  to  say,  that  although  I  had  beaten  Murphy,  I 
was  not  to  suppose  myself  master  of  the  berth.  I  replied 
to  this  only  by  throwing  a  biscuit  at  his  head,  as  a  shot  of 
defiance ;  and,  darting  on  him  before  he  could  get  his  legs 
from  under  the  table,  I  thrust  my  fingers  into  his  neckcloth, 
which  I  twisted  so  tightly,  that  I  held  him  till  he  was 
nearly  choked,  giving  his  head  at  the  same  time  two  or 
three  good  thumps  against  the  ship's  side. 

Finding  that  he  grew  black  in  the  face,  I  let  him  go,  and 
asked  if  he  required  any  further  satisfaction,  to  which  he 
replied  in  the  negative,  and  from  that  day  he  was  always 
dutiful  and  obedient  to  me.  The  old  superannuated  mate, 
a  sturdy  merchant  seaman,  seemed  greatly  dismayed  at 
the  successive  defeats  of  his  allies,  and  I  believe  would 
have  gladly  concluded  a  separate  peace.  He  had  never 
offered  to  come  to  the  assistance  of  the  doctor,  although 
appealed  to  in  the  most  pitiable  gestures. 

This  I  observed  with  secret  pleasure,  and  would  the 
more  willingly  have  given  him  a  brush,  as  I  saw  he  was 
disinclined  to  make  the  attempt.  I  was,  however,  deter- 
mined to  be  at  the  head  of  the  mess.  At  twelve  o'clock 
that  night  I  was  relieved  from  the  first  watch,  and  coming 
down,  I  found  the  old  mate  in  a  state  of  beastly  intoxica- 
tion. Thus  he  went  to  his  hammock,  and  fell  asleep. 
"While  he  lay  "  dormant,"  I  took  a  piece  of  lunar  caustic, 
which  I  wetted,  and  drew  stripes  and  figures  all  over  his 
weather-beaten  face,  increasing  his  natural  ugliness  to  a 
frightful  degree,  and  made  him  look  very  like  a  New 
Zealand  warrior.  The  next  morning,  when  he  was 
making  his  toilet,  my  party  were  all  ready  prepared  for  the 
eclair cissement.  He  opened  his  little  dirty  chest,  and 
having  strapped  an  old  razor,  and  made  a  lather  in  a  wooden 
soap-box,  which  bore    evident  marks  of  the  antique,  he 


The  Naval  Officer  73 

placed  a  triangular  piece  of  a  looking-glass  against  the  re- 
clining lid  of  the  chest,  and  began  the  operation  of  shaving. 
His  start  back  with  horror,  when  he  beheld  his  face,  I 
shall  never  forget  :  it  outdid  the  young  Roscius,  when  he 
saw  the  ghost  of  Hamlet.  Having  wetted  his  forefinger 
with  his  tongue,  the  old  mate  tried  to  remove  the  stain  of 
the  caustic,  but  the  "  d — d  spot  "  still  remained,  and  we, 
like  so  many  young  imps,  surrounded  him,  roaring  with 
laughter. 

I  boldly  told  him  that  he  bore  my  marks  as  well 
as  Murphy  and  the  doctor ;  and  I  added,  with  a  degree 
of  cruel  mockery  which  might  have  been  spared,  that  I 
thought  it  right  to  put  all  my  servants  in  black  to-day.  I 
asked  whether  he  was  contented  with  the  arrangement,  or 
whether  he  chose  to  appeal  against  my  decree  ;  he  signified 
that  he  had  no  more  to  say. 

Thus,  in  twenty-four  hours,  I  had  subdued  the  great 
allies  who  had  so  long  oppressed  me.  I  immediately 
effected  a  revolution  ;  dismissed  the  doctor  from  the  office 
of  caterer — took  the  charge  on  myself,  and  administered 
the  most  impartial  justice.  I  made  the  oldsters  pay  their 
mess  which  they  had  not  correctly  done  before  ;  I  caused 
an  equal  distribution  of  all  luxuries  from  which  the  juniors 
had  till  then  been  debarred  ;  and  I  flatter  myself  I  restored, 
in  some  degree,  the  golden  age  in  the  cockpit.  There 
were  no  more  battles,  for  there  was  no  hope  of  victory  on 
their  part,  nor  anything  to  contend  for  on  mine.  I  never 
took  any  advantage  of  my  strength,  further  than  to  protect 
the  youngsters.  I  proved  by  this  that  I  was  not  quarrel- 
some, but  had  only  struggled  for  my  own  emancipation — 
that  gained,  I  was  satisfied.  My  conduct  was  explained  to 
the  captain  and  the  officers  ;  and  being  fully  and  fairly  dis- 
cussed, did  me  great  service.  I  was  looked  upon  with 
respect,  and  treated  with  marks  of  confidence,  not  usual 
towards  a  person  so  young. 

We  left  Malta,  expecting  to  find  our  commander-in- 
chief  off  Toulon  ;  but  it  seldom  happens  that  the  captain  of 
a  frigate  is  in  any  hurry  to  join  his  admiral,  unless  charged 


74  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

with  despatches  of  importance.  This  not  being  our  case, 
we  somehow  or  other  tumbled  down  the  Mediterranean 
before  a  strong  Levanter,  and  then  had  to  work  back  again 
along  the  coast  of  Spain  and  France.  It  is  an  ill  wind, 
they  say,  that  blows  nobody  good  *,  and  we  found  it  so 
with  us  ;  for  off  Toulon,  in  company  with  the  fleet,  if 
we  did  take  prizes  they  became  of  little  value,  because 
there  were  so  many  to  share  them.  Our  captain,  who  was 
a  man  of  the  most  consummate  ruse  de  guerre  I  ever  saw  or 
heard  of,  had  two  reasons  for  sending  his  prizes  to 
Gibraltar.  The  first  was,  that  we  should,  in  all  probability, 
be  sent  down  there  to  receive  our  men,  and  have  the 
advantage  of  the  cruise  back  ;  the  second,  that  he  was 
well  aware  of  the  corrupt  practices  of  the  admiralty-court 
at  Malta. 

All  the  vessels,  therefore,  which  we  had  hitherto  cap- 
tured, were  sent  to  Gibraltar  for  adjudication,  and  we  now 
added  to  their  number.  We  had  the  good  fortune  to  take 
a  large  ship  laden  with  barilla,  and  a  brig  with  tobacco  and 
wine.  The  charge  of  the  last  I  was  honoured  with :  and 
no  prime  minister  ever  held  a  situation  of  such  heavy 
responsibility  with  such  corrupt  supporters.  So  much  was 
the  crew  of  the  frigate  reduced  by  former  captures  and  the 
unlucky  affair  with  the  Maltese  privateer,  that  I  was  only 
allowed  three  men.  I  was,  however,  so  delighted  with  my 
first  command,  that,  I  verily  believe,  if  they  had  only  given 
me  a  dog  and  a  pig  I  should  have  been  satisfied. 

The  frigate's  boat  put  us  on  board.  It  blew  fresh  from 
the  eastward,  and  I  instantly  put  the  helm  up,  and  shaped 
my  course  for  the  old  rock.  The  breeze  soon  freshened 
into  a  gale ;  we  ran  slap  before  it,  but  soon  found  it  neces- 
sary to  take  in  the  top-gallant  sails.  This  we  at  last 
accomplished,  one  at  a  time.  We  then  thought  a  reef  or 
two  in  the  topsails  would  be  acceptable;  but  that  was 
impossible.  We  tried  a  Spanish  reef,  that  is,  let  the  yards 
come  down  on  the  cap  :  and  she  flew  before  the  gale,  which 
had  now  increased  to  a  very  serious  degree.  Our  cargo  of 
wine  and  tobacco  was,  unfortunately,  stowed  by  a  Spanish 


The  Naval  Officer  j$ 

and  not  a  British  owner.  The  difference  was  very  material 
to  me.  An  Englishman,  knowing  the  vice  of  his  country- 
men, would  have  placed  the  wine  underneath,  and  the 
tobacco  above.  Unfortunately  it  was,  in  this  instance,  the 
reverse,  and  my  men  very  soon  helped  themselves  to  as 
much  as  rendered  them  nearly  useless  to  me,  being  more 
than  half  seas  over. 

"We  got  on  pretty  well,  however,  till  about  two  o'clock 
in  the  morning,  when  the  man  at  the  helm,  unable  to  wake 
the  other  two  seamen  to  fetch  him  a  drop,  thought  he  might 
trust  the  brig  to  steer  herself  for  a  minute,  while  he 
quenched  his  thirst  at  the  wine-cask :  the  vessel  instantly 
broached  to,  that  is,  came  with  her  broadside  to  the  wind 
and  sea,  and  away  went  the  mainmast  by  the  board.  For- 
tunately, the  foremast  stood.  The  man  who  had  just 
quitted  the  helm  had  not  time  to  get  drunk,  and  the  other 
two  were  so  much  frightened  that  they  got  sober. 

We  cleared  the  wreck  as  well  as  we  could,  got  her 
before  the  wind  again,  and  continued  on  our  course.  But 
a  British  sailor,  the  most  daring  of  all  men,  is  likewise  the 
most  regardless  of  warning  or  of  consequences.  The  loss 
of  the  mainmast,  instead  of  showing  my  men  the  madness 
of  their  indulgence  in  drink,  turned  the  scale  the  opposite 
way.  If  they  could  get  drunk  with  two  masts,  how  much 
more  could  they  do  so  with  one,  when  they  had  only  half 
as  much  sail  to  look  after  ?  With  such  a  rule  of  three, 
there  was  no  reasoning  ;  and  they  got  drunk,  and  continued 
drunk  during  the  whole  passage. 

Good  luck  often  attends  us  when  we  don't  deserve  it : 

"  The  sweet  little  cherub  that  sits  up  aloft," 

as  Dibdin  says,  had  an  eye  upon  us.  I  knew  we  could  not 
easily  get  out  of  the  Gut  of  Gibraltar  without  knowing  it ; 
and  accordingly,  on  the  third  day  after  leaving  the  frigate, 
we  made  the  rock  early  in  the  morning,  and,  by  two  o'clock, 
rounded  Europa  Point.  I  had  ordered  the  men  to  bend 
the  cable,  and,  like  many  other  young  officers,  fancied  it 
was   done   because   they  said  it  was,  and  because  I  had 


j6  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

ordered  it.  It  never  once  occurred  to  me  to  go  and  see  if  my 
orders  had  been  executed ;  indeed,  to  say  the  truth,  I  had 
quite  as  much  as  I  could  turn  my  hand  to :  I  was  at  the 
helm  from  twelve  o'clock  at  night  till  six  in  the  morning, 
looking  out  for  the  land ;  and  when  I  ordered  one  of  the 
men  to  relieve  me,  I  directed  him  how  to  steer,  and  fell 
into  a  profound  sleep,  which  lasted  till  ten  o'clock  ;  after 
which  I  was  forced  to  exert  the  whole  of  my  ingenuity  in 
order  to  fetch  into  the  Bay,  and  prevent  being  blown 
through  the  Gut  •,  so  that  the  bending  of  the  cable  escaped 
my  memory  until  the  moment  I  required  the  use  of  the 
anchor. 

As  I  passed  under  the  stern  of  one  of  the  ships  of  war 
in  the  Bay,  with  my  prize  colours  flying,  the  officer  on  deck 
hailed  me,  and  said  I  "had  better  shorten  sail."  I  thought 
so  too,  but  how  was  this  to  be  done  ?  My  whole  ship's 
company  were  too  drunk  to  do  it,  and  though  I  begged 
for  some  assistance  from  his  Majesty's  ship,  it  blew  so 
fresh,  and  we  passed  so  quick,  that  they  could  not  hear 
me,  or  were  not  inclined.  Necessity  has  no  law.  I  saw 
among  the  other  ships  in  the  bay  a  great  lump  of  a  trans- 
port, and  I  thought  she  was  much  better  able  to  bear 
the  concussion  I  intended  for  her  than  any  other  vessel ; 
because  I  had  heard  then,  and  have  been  made  sure  of  it 
since,  that  her  owners  (like  all  other  owners)  were  cheat- 
ing the  government  out  of  thousands  of  pounds  a  year. 
She  was  lying  exactly  in  the  part  of  the  Bay  assigned  for 
the  prizes ;  and  as  I  saw  no  other  possible  mode  of 
"  bringing  the  ship  to  anchor,"  I  steered  for  "  the  lobster 
smack,"  and  ran  slap  on  board  of  her,  to  the  great  astonish- 
ment of  the  master,  mate,  and  crew. 

The  usual  expletives,  a  volley  of  oaths  and  curses  on 
our  lubberly  heads,  followed  the  shock.  This  I  expected, 
and  was  as  fully  prepared  for  as  I  was  for  the  fall  of  my 
foremast,  which,  taking  the  foreyard  of  the  transport,  fell 
over  the  starboard  quarter  and  greatly  relieved  me  on 
the  subject  of  shortening  sail.  Thus,  my  pretty  brig  was 
first  reduced  to  a  sloop  and  then  to  a  hulk  ;  fortunately, 


The  Naval  Officer  yy 

her  bottom  was  sound.  I  was  soon  cut  clear  of  the 
transport,  and  called  out  in  a  manly  voice,  "  Let  go  the 
anchor." 

This  order  was  obeyed  with  promptitude :  away  it  went 
sure  enough ;  but  the  devil  a  cable  was  there  bent  to  it, 
and  my  men  being  all  stupidly  drunk,  I  let  my  vessel 
drift  athwart-hawse  of  a  frigate ;  the  commanding  officer 
of  which,  seeing  I  had  no  other  cable  bent,  very  kindly 
sent  a  few  hands  on  board  to  assist  me ;  and  by  five 
o'clock  I  was  safely  moored  in  the  Bay  of  Gibraltar,  and 
walked  my  quarter-deck  as  high  in  my  own  estimation 
as  Columbus,  when  he  made  the  American  islands. 

But  short,  short  was  my  power  !  my  frigate  arrived 
the  next  morning.  The  captain  sent  for  me,  and  I  gave 
him  an  account  of  my  voyage  and  my  disasters  ;  he  very 
kindly  consoled  me  for  my  misfortune  ;  and  so  far  from 
being  angry  with  me  for  losing  my  masts,  said  it  was 
wonderful,  under  all  circumstances,  how  I  had  succeeded 
in  saving  the  vessel.  We  lay  only  a  fortnight  at  Gibraltar, 
when  news  arrived  that  the  French  had  entered  Spain, 
and  very  shortly  after  orders  came  from  England  to 
suspend  all  hostilities  against  the  Spaniards.  This  we 
thought  a  bore,  as  it  almost  annihilated  any  chance  of 
prize-money  •,  at  the  same  time  that  it  increased  our  labours 
and  stimulated  our  activity  in  a  most  surprising  manner, 
and  opened  scenes  to  us  far  more  interesting  than  if  the 
war  with  Spain  had  continued. 

We  were  ordered  up  to  join  the  admiral  off  Toulon, 
but  desired  to  look  into  the  Spanish  port  of  Carthagena 
on  our  way,  and  to  report  the  state  of  the  Spanish 
squadron  in  that  arsenal.  We  were  received  with  great 
politeness  by  the  governor  and  the  officers  of  the  Spanish 
fleet  lying  there.  These  people  we  found  were  men  of 
talent  and  education ;  their  ships  were  mostly  dismantled, 
and  they  had  not  the  means  of  equipping  them. 


j$  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 


Chapter  VI 

Par.   You  give  me  most  egregious  indignity. 

Laf.   Ay,  with  all  my  heart ;  and  thou  art  worthv  of  it. 

«  All's  Well  that  Ends  WeU* 

Naturally  anxious  to  behold  a  country  from  which  we 
had  hitherto  been  excluded  for  so  many  years,  we  all 
applied  for  leave  to  go  on  shore,  and  obtained  it.  Even 
the  seamen  were  allowed  the  same  indulgence,  and  went 
in  parties  of  twenty  and  thirty  at  a  time.  We  were 
followed  and  gaped  at  by  the  people ;  but  shunned  at 
the  same  time  as  "  hereticos."  The  inns  of  the  town, 
like  all  the  rest  of  them  in  Spain,  have  not  improved  since 
the  days  of  the  immortal  Santillana — they  were  all  more 
or  less  filled  with  the  lowest  of  the  rabble,  and  a  set 
of  bravos,  whose  calling  was  robbery,  and  who  cared 
little  if  murder  were  its  accompaniment.  The  cookery 
was  execrable.  Garlic  and  oil  were  its  principal  in- 
gredients. The  olla  podrida,  and  its  constant  attendant, 
the  tomato  sauce,  were  intolerable,  but  the  wine  was 
very  well  for  a  midshipman.  Whenever  we  had  a  repast 
in  any  of  these  houses,  the  bravos  endeavoured  to  pick 
a  quarrel  with  us  ;  and  these  fellows  being  always  armed 
with  stilettos,  we  found  it  necessary  to  be  equally  well 
prepared  ;  and  whenever  we  seated  ourselves  at  a  table, 
we  never  failed  to  display  the  butts  of  our  pistols,  which 
kept  them  in  decent  order,  for  they  are  as  cowardly  as 
they  are  thievish.  Our  seamen,  not  being  so  cautious 
or  so  well  provided  with  arms,  were  frequently  robbed 
and  assassinated  by  these  rascals. 

I  was,  on  one  occasion,  near  falling  a  victim  to  them. 
Walking  in  the  evening  with  the  second  master,  and 
having  a  pretty  little  Spanish  girl  under  my  arm,  for,  to 
my  shame  be  it  spoken,  I  had  already  formed  an  acquaint- 
ance with  the  frail  sisterhood,  four  of  these  villains 
accosted   us.      We  soon   perceived,  by  their  manner  of 


The  Naval  Officer  79 

holding  their  cloaks,  that  they  had  their  stilettos  ready. 
I  desired  my  companion  to  draw  his  dirk,  to  keep  close 
to  me,  and  not  to  let  them  get  between  us  and  the  wall. 
Seeing  that  we  were  prepared,  they  wished  us  "  buenos 
noches"  (good  night) ;  and,  endeavouring  to  put  us  off 
our  guard  by  entering  into  conversation,  asked  us  to  give 
them  a  cigar,  which  my  companion  would  have  done, 
had  I  not  cautioned  him  not  to  quit  his  dirk  with  his 
right  hand,  for  this  was  all  they  wanted. 

In  this  defensive  posture  we  continued  until  we  had 
nearly  reached  the  plaza  or  great  square,  where  many 
people  were  walking  and  enjoying  themselves  by  moon- 
light, the  usual  custom  of  the  country.  "  Now,"  said  I 
to  my  friend,  "  let  us  make  a  start  from  these  fellows. 
When  I  run,  do  you  follow  me,  and  don't  stop  till  we 
are  in  the  middle  of  the  square." 

The  manoeuvre  was  successful ;  we  out-ran  the  thieves, 
who  were  not  aware  of  our  plan,  and  were  encumbered 
with  their  heavy  cloaks.  Finding  we  had  escaped,  they 
turned  upon  the  girl,  and  robbed  her  of  her  miserable 
earnings.  This  we  saw,  but  could  not  prevent ;  such 
was  the  police  of  Spain  then,  nor  has  it  improved  since. 

This  was  the  last  time  I  ventured  on  shore  at  night, 
except  to  go  once  with  a  party  of  our  officers  to  the  house 
of  the  Spanish  admiral,  who  had  a  very  pretty  niece,  and 
was  liberate  enough  not  to  frown  on  us  poor  heretics.  She 
was  indeed  a  pretty  creature  :  her  lovely  black  eyes,  long 
eyelashes,  and  raven  hair,  betrayed  a  symptom  of  Moorish 
blood,  at  the  same  time  that  her  ancient  family-name  and 
high  good-breeding  gave  her  the  envied  appellation  of 
Vieja  Christiana. 

This  fair  creature  was  pleased  to  bestow  a  furtive  glance 
of  approbation  on  my  youthful  form  and  handsome  dress. 
My  vanity  was  tickled.  I  spoke  French  to  her :  she 
understood  it  imperfectly,  and  pretended  to  know  still 
less  of  it,  from  the  hatred  borne  by  all  the  Spaniards  at 
that  time  to  the  French  nation. 

We  improved  our  time,  however,  which  was  but  short ; 


80  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

and,  before  we  parted,  perfectly  understood  each  other. 
I  thought  I  could  be  contented  to  give  up  everything,  and 
reside  with  her  in  the  wilds  of  Spain. 

The  time  of  our  departure  came,  and  I  was  torn  away 
from  my  Rosaritta,  not  without  the  suspicions  of  my 
captain  and  shipmates  that  I  had  been  a  too  highly  favoured 
youth.  This  was  not  true.  I  loved  the  dear  angel,  but 
never  had  wronged  her ;  and  I  went  to  sea  in  a  mood 
which  I  sometimes  thought  might  end  in  an  act  of  despera- 
tion :  but  salt  water  is  an  admirable  specific  against  love, 
at  least  against  such  love  as  that  was. 

We  joined  the  admiral  off  Toulon,  and  were  ordered 
by  him  to  cruise  between  Perpignan  and  Marseilles.  We 
parted  from  the  fleet  on  the  following  day,  and  kept  the 
coast  in  a  continued  state  of  alarm.  Not  a  vessel  dared 
to  show  her  nose  out  of  port :  we  had  her  if  she  did. 
Batteries  we  laughed  at,  and  either  silenced  them  with 
our  long  eighteen-pounders,  or  landed  and  blew  them  up. 

In  one  of  these  little  skirmishes  I  had  very  nearly  been 
taken,  and  should,  in  that  case,  have  missed  all  the 
honour,  and  glory,  and  hairbreadth  escapes  which  will  be 
found  related  in  the  following  pages.  I  should  either 
have  been  sabred  in  mere  retaliation,  or  marched  off  to 
Verdun  for  the  remaining  six  years  of  the  war. 

We  had  landed  to  storm  and  blow  up  a  battery,  for 
which  purpose  we  carried  with  us  a  bag  of  powder,  and 
a  train  of  canvas.  Everything  went  on  prosperously. 
We  came  to  a  canal  which  it  was  necessary  to  cross,  and 
the  best  swimmers  were  selected  to  convey  the  powder 
over  without  wetting  it.  I  was  one  of  them.  I  took  off 
my  shoes  and  stockings  to  save  them ;  and,  after  we  had 
taken  the  battery,  I  was  so  intent  on  looking  for  the 
telegraphic  signal-box,  that  I  had  quite  forgotten  the 
intended  explosion,  until  I  heard  a  cry  of  "  Run,  run ! " 
from  those  outside  who  had  lighted  the  train. 

I  was  at  that  moment  on  the  wall  of  the  fort,  nearly 
thirty  feet  high,  but  sloping.  I  jumped  one  part,  and 
scrambled  the  other,  and   ran   away  as    fast  as  I  could, 


The  Naval  Officer  81 

amidst  a  shower  of  stones,  which  fell  around  me  like  an 
eruption  of  Vesuvius.  Luckily  I  was  not  hit,  but  I  had 
cut  my  foot  in  the  leap,  and  was  in  much  pain.  I  had 
two  fields  of  stubble  to  pass,  and  my  shoes  and  stockings 
were  on  the  other  side  of  the  canal — the  sharp  straw 
entered  the  wound,  and  almost  drove  me  mad,  and  I 
was  tempted  to  sit  down  and  resign  myself  to  my  fate. 

However,  I  persevered,  and  had  nearly  reached  the 
boats  which  were  putting  off,  not  aware  of  my  absence, 
when  a  noise  like  distant  thunder  reached  my  ears.  This 
I  soon  found  was  cavalry  from  Cotte,  which  had  come  to 
defend  the  battery.  I  mustered  all  my  strength,  and 
plunged  into  the  sea  to  swim  off  to  the  boats,  and  so 
little  time  had  I  to  spare,  that  some  of  the  enemy's 
chasseurs,  on  their  black  horses,  swam  in  after  me,  and 
fired  their  pistols  at  my  head.  The  boats  were  at  this 
time  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  shore ;  the 
officers  in  them  fortunately  perceived  the  cavalry,  and 
saw  me  at  the  same  time  :  a  boat  laid  on  her  oars,  which 
with  great  difficulty  I  reached,  and  was  taken  in ;  but  so 
exhausted  with  pain  and  loss  of  blood,  that  I  was  carried 
on  board  almost  dead  ;  my  foot  was  cut  to  the  bone,  and 
I  continued  a  month  under  the  surgeon's  care. 

I  had  nearly  recovered  from  this  accident,  when  we 
captured  a  ship,  with  which  Murphy  was  sent  as  prize- 
master  ;  and  the  same  evening  a  schooner,  which  we  cut 
out  from  her  anchorage.  The  command  of  this  latter 
vessel  was  given  to  me — it  was  late  in  the  evening,  and 
the  hurry  was  so  great  that  the  keg  of  spirits  intended 
for  myself  and  crew  was  not  put  on  board.  This  was 
going  from  one  extreme  to  the  other ;  in  my  last  ship 
we  had  too  much  liquor,  and  in  this  too  little.  Naturally 
thirsty,  our  desire  for  drink  needed  not  the  stimulus  of 
salt  fish  and  calavances,  for  such  was  our  cargo  and  such 
was  our  food,  and  deeply  did  we  deplore  the  loss  of  our 
spirits. 

On  the  third  day  after  leaving  the  frigate,  on  our  way 
to  Gibraltar,  I  fell  in  with  a  ship  on  the  coast  of  Spain, 
M  F 


82  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

and  knew  it  to  be  the  one  Murphy  commanded,  by  a 
remarkable  white  patch  in  the  main-topsail.  I  made  all 
sail  in  chase,  in  hopes  of  obtaining  some  spirits  from  him, 
knowing  that  he  had  more  than  he  could  consume,  even 
if  he  and  his  people  got  drunk  every  day.  When  I  came 
near  him,  he  made  all  the  sail  he  could.  At  dusk  I  was 
near  enough  almost  to  hail  him,  but  he  stood  on ;  and  I, 
having  a  couple  of  small  three-pounders  on  board,  with 
some  powder,  fired  one  of  them  as  a  signal.  This  I 
repeated  again  and  again;  but  he  would  not  bring  to; 
and  when  it  was  dark,  I  lost  sight  of  him,  and  saw  him 
no  more  until  we  met  at  Gibraltar. 

Next  morning  I  fell  in  with  three  Spanish  fishing- 
boats.  They  took  me  for  a  French  privateer,  pulled  up 
their  lines,  and  made  sail.  I  came  up  with  them,  and, 
firing  a  gun,  they  hove  to  and  surrendered.  I  ordered 
them  alongside ;  and,  finding  they  had  each  a  keg  of 
wine  on  board,  I  condemned  that  part  of  their  cargo  as 
contraband  ;  but  I  honestly  offered  payment  for  what  I 
had  taken.  This  they  declined,  finding  I  was  "  Ingles"  too 
happy  to  think  they  were  not  in  the  hands  of  the  French. 
I  then  gave  each  of  them  a  pound  of  tobacco,  which  not 
only  satisfied  them,  but  confirmed  them  in  the  newly- 
received  opinion  among  their  countrymen,  that  England 
was  the  bravest  as  well  as  the  most  generous  of  nations. 
They  offered  everything  their  boat  contained ;  but  I 
declined  all  most  nobly,  because  I  had  obtained  all  I 
wanted ;  and  we  parted  with  mutual  good  will,  they 
shouting,  "  Viva  Ingleterre  ! "  and  we  drinking  them  a 
good  passage  in  their  own  wine. 

Many  days  elapsed  before  we  reached  Gibraltar :  the 
winds  were  light,  and  the  weather  fine  ;  but  as  we  had 
discovered  that  the  fishing-boats  had  wine,  we  took  care 
to  supply  our  cellar  without  any  trouble  from  the  excise ; 
and,  from  our  equitable  mode  of  barter,  I  had  no  reason 
to  think  that  his  Majesty  King  George  lost  any  of  his 
deserved  popularity  by  our  conduct.  When  we  reached 
Gibraltar,  I  had  still  a  couple  of  good  kegs  wherewith 


The  Naval  Officer  83 

to  regale  my  messmates ;  though  I  was  sorry  to  find  the 
frigate  and  the  rest  of  her  prizes  had  got  in  before  us. 
Murphy,  indeed,  did  not  arrive  till  the  day  after  me. 

I  was  on  the  quarter-deck  when  he  came  in ;  and,  to 
my  astonishment,  he  reported  that  he  had  been  chased 
by  a  French  privateer,  and  had  beat  her  off  after  a  four 
hours'  action — that  his  rigging  had  suffered  a  good  deal, 
but  that  he  had  not  a  man  hurt.  I  let  him  run  on  till  the 
evening.  Many  believed  him ;  but  some  doubted.  At 
dinner,  in  the  gun-room,  his  arrogance  knew  no  bounds  ; 
and,  when  half  drunk,  my  three  men  were  magnified  into 
a  well-manned  brig,  as  full  of  men  and  guns  as  she  could 
stuff! 

Sick  of  all  this  nonsense,  I  then  simply  related  the  story 
as  it  had  occurred,  and  sent  for  the  quarter-master,  who 
was  with  me,  and  who  confirmed  all  my  statement.  From 
that  moment  he  was  a  mark  of  contempt  in  the  ship. 
Every  lie  was  a  Murphy,  and  every  Murphy  a  liar.  He 
dared  not  resent  this  scorn  of  ours  ;  and  found  himself  so 
uncomfortable,  that  he  offered  no  objection  to  the  removal 
proposed  by  the  captain  ;  his  character  followed  him,  and 
he  never  obtained  promotion.  It  is  a  satisfaction  to  me 
to  reflect  that  I  not  only  had  my  full  revenge  on  this 
man,  but  that  I  had  been  the  instrument  of  turning  him 
out  of  an  honourable  profession  which  he  would  have 
disgraced. 

This  was  no  time  for  frigates  to  be  idle ;  and  if  I  chose 
to  give  the  name  of  mine  and  my  captain,  the  naval  history 
of  the  country  would  prove  that  ours,  of  all  other  ships, 
was  one  of  the  most  distinguished  in  the  cause  of  Spanish 
freedom.  The  south  of  Spain  became  the  theatre  of  the 
most  cruel  and  desolating  war.  Our  station  was  off 
Barcelona,  and  thence  to  Perpignan,  the  frontier  of  France, 
on  the  borders  of  Spain.  Our  duty  (for  which  the 
enterprising  disposition  of  our  captain  was  admirably 
calculated)  was  to  support  the  guerilla  chiefs  •,  to  cut  off 
the  enemy's  convoys  of  provisions,  either  by  sea  or  along 
the  road  which  lay  by  the  sea-shore ;  or  to  dislodge  the 


84  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

enemy  from  any   stronghold  he   might  be   in  possession 
of. 

I  was  absent  from  the  ship  on  such  services  three  and 
four  weeks  at  a  time,  being  attached  to  a  division  of  small- 
arm  men  under  the  command  of  the  third  lieutenant.  "We 
suffered  very  much  from  privations  of  all  kinds.  We 
never  took  with  us  more  than  one  week's  provision,  and 
were  frequently  three  weeks  without  receiving  any  supply. 
In  the  article  of  dress,  our  "  catalogue  of  negatives,"  as  a 
celebrated  author  says,  "  was  very  copious ; "  we  had  no 
shoes  nor  stockings — no  linen,  and  not  all  of  us  had  hats 
— a  pocket-handkerchief  was  the  common  substitute  for 
this  article  \  we  clambered  over  rocks,  and  wandered 
through  the  flinty  or  muddy  ravines  in  company  with  our 
new  allies,  the  hardy  mountaineers. 

These  men  respected  our  valour,  but  did  not  like  our 
religion  or  our  manners.  They  cheerfully  divided  their 
rations  with  us,  but  were  always  inexorable  in  their 
cruelty  to  the  French  prisoners ;  and  no  persuasion  of 
ours  could  induce  them  to  spare  the  lives  of  one  of  these 
unhappy  people,  whose  cries  and  entreaties  to  the  English 
to  intercede  for,  or  save  them,  were  always  unavailing. 
They  were  either  stabbed  before  our  faces,  or  dragged  to 
the  top  of  a  hill  commanding  a  view  of  some  fortress 
occupied  by  the  French,  and,  in  sight  of  their  country- 
men, their  throats  were  cut  from  ear  to  ear. 

Should  the  Christian  reader  condemn  this  horrid  bar- 
barity, as  he  certainly  will,  he  must  remember  that  those 
people  were  men  whose  every  feeling  had  been  outraged. 
Rape,  conflagration,  murder,  and  famine  had  everywhere 
followed  the  step  of  the  cruel  invaders ;  and  however  we 
might  lament  their  fate,  and  endeavour  to  avert  it,  we 
could  not  but  admit  that  the  retaliation  was  not  without 
justice. 

In  this  irregular  warfare,  we  sometimes  revelled  in 
luxuries,  and  at  others  were  nearly  starved.  One  day,  in 
particular,  when  fainting  with  hunger,  we  met  a  fat,  rosy- 
looking  capuchin :  we  begged  him  to  show  us  where  we 


The  Naval  Officer  85 

might  procure  some  food,  either  by  purchase  or  in  any- 
other  way ;  but  he  neither  knew  where  to  procure  any, 
nor  had  he  any  money :  his  order,  he  said,  forbade  him  to 
use  it.  As  he  turned  away  from  us,  in  some  precipitation, 
we  thought  we  heard  something  rattle ;  and  as  necessity 
has  no  law,  we  took  the  liberty  of  searching  the  padre, 
on  whose  person  we  found  forty  dollars,  of  which  we 
relieved  him,  assuring  him  that  our  consciences  were 
perfectly  clear,  since  his  order  forbade  him  to  carry 
money ;  and  that  as  he  lived  among  good  Christians, 
they  would  not  allow  him  to  want.  He  cursed  us ;  but 
we  laughed  at  him,  because  he  had  produced  his  own 
misfortune  by  his  falsehood  and  hypocrisy. 

This  was  the  manner  in  which  the  Spanish  priests 
generally  behaved  to  us ;  and  in  this  way  we  generally 
repaid  them  when  we  could.  "We  kept  the  plunder — 
converted  it  into  food  —  joined  our  party  soon  after, 
and  supposed  the  affair  was  over;  but  the  friar  had 
followed  us  at  a  distance,  and  we  perceived  him  coming 
up  the  hill  where  we  were  stationed.  To  avoid  discovery 
we  exchanged  clothes,  in  such  a  manner  as  to  render  us 
no  longer  cognizable.  The  friar  made  his  complaint  to 
the  guerilla  chief,  whose  eyes  flashed  fire  at  the  indignant 
treatment  his  priest  had  received  ;  and  it  is  probable  that 
bloodshed  would  have  ensued  had  he  been  able  to  point  out 
the  culprits. 

I  kept  my  countenance  though  I  had  changed  my  dress, 
and  as  he  looked  at  me  with  something  beyond  suspicion, 
I  stared  him  full  in  the  face,  with  the  whole  united  powers 
of  my  matchless  impudence,  and,  in  a  loud  and  menacing 
tone  Of  voice,  asked  him  in  French  if  he  took  me  for  a 
brigand. 

This  question,  as  well  as  the  manner  in  which  it  was 
put,  silenced,  if  it  did  not  satisfy,  the  priest.  He  seemed 
to  listen  with  apparent  conviction  to  the  suggestion  of 
some  of  our  people,  that  he  had  been  robbed  by  another 
party,  and  he  set  out  in  pursuit  of  them.  I  was  quite 
tired  of  his  importunities,   and  glad  to  see  him  depart. 


86  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

As  he  turned  away,  he  gave  me  a  very  scrutinizing  look, 
which  I  returned  with  another,  full  of  well  dissembled 
rage  and  scorn.  My  curling  hair  had  been  well  flattened 
down  with  a  piece  of  soap,  which  I  had  in  my  pocket,  and 
I  had  much  more  the  appearance  of  a  Methodist  parson 
than  a  pickpocket. 

Some  time  previous  to  this,  the  frigate  to  which  I 
belonged  had  been  ordered  on  other  services ;  and  as  I 
had  no  opportunity  of  joining  her,  I  was  placed,  pro 
tempore,  on  board  of  another. 

But  as  this  chapter  has  already  spun  out  its  length; 
I  shall  refer  my  reader  to  the  next  for  further  particulars. 


Chapter  VII 

The  shout 
Of  battle  now  began,  and  rushing  sound 
Of  onset         ..... 
'Twixt  host  and  host  but  narrow  space  was  left. 

Milton. 

From  the  deservedly  high  character  borne  by  the  captain 
of  the  frigate  which  I  was  ordered  to  join,  he  was  em- 
ployed by  Lord  Collingwood  on  the  most  confidential 
services ;  and  we  were  sent  to  assist  the  Spaniards  in 
their  defence  of  the  important  fortress  of  Rosas,  in 
Catalonia.  It  has  already  been  observed  that  the  French 
general,  St  Cyr,  had  entered  that  country,  and,  having 
taken  Figueras  and  Gerona,  was  looking  with  a  wistful 
eye  on  the  castle  of  Trinity,  on  the  south-east  side,  the 
capture  of  which  would  be  a  certain  prelude  to  the  fall 
of  Rosas. 

My  captain  determined  to  defend  it,  although  it  had  just 
been  abandoned  by  another  British  naval  officer,  as  un- 
tenable. I  volunteered,  though  a  supernumerary,  to  be 
one  of  the  party,  and  was  sent :  nor  can  I  but  acknowledge 
that  the  officer  who  had  abandoned  the  place  had  shown 


The  Naval  Officer  87 

more  than  a  sound  discretion.  Every  part  of  the  castle 
was  in  ruins.  Heaps  of  crumbling  stones  and  rubbish, 
broken  gun-carriages,  and  split  guns,  presented  to  my 
mind  a  very  unfavourable  field  of  battle.  The  only 
advantage  we  appeared  to  have  over  the  assailants  was 
that  the  breach  which  they  had  effected  in  the  walls  was 
steep  in  its  ascent,  and  the  loose  stones  either  fell  down 
upon  them,  or  gave  way  under  their  feet,  while  we  plied 
them  with  every  kind  of  missile :  this  was  our  only 
defence,  and  all  we  had  to  prevent  the  enemy  marching 
into  the  works,  if  works  they  could  be  called. 

There  was  another  and  very  serious  disadvantage 
attending  our  locality.  The  castle  was  situated  very 
near  the  summit  of  a  steep  hill,  the  upper  part  of  which 
was  in  possession  of  the  enemy,  who  were,  by  this 
means,  nearly  on  a  level  with  the  top  of  the  castle,  and, 
on  that  eminence,  three  hundred  Swiss  sharpshooters  had 
effected  a  lodgment,  and  thrown  up  works  within  fifty 
yards  of  us,  keeping  up  a  constant  fire  at  the  castle.  If 
a  head  was  seen  above  the  walls,  twenty  rifie-bullets 
whizzed  at  it  in  a  moment,  and  the  same  unremitted 
attention  was  paid  to  our  boats  as  they  landed. 

On  another  hill,  much  to  the  northward,  and  con- 
sequently, further  inland,  the  French  had  erected  a 
battery  of  six  24-pounders.  This  agreeable  neighbour 
was  only  three  hundred  yards  from  us ;  and,  allowing 
short  intervals  for  the  guns  to  cool,  this  battery  kept  up 
a  constant  fire  upon  us  from  daylight  till  dark.  I  never 
could  have  supposed,  in  my  boyish  days,  that  the  time 
would  arrive  when  I  should  envy  a  cock  upon  Shrove 
Tuesday;  yet  such  was  my  case  when  in  this  infernal 
castle.  It  was  certainly  not  giving  us  fair  play ;  we  had 
no  chance  against  such  a  force;  but  my  captain  was  a 
knight-errant,  and  as  I  had  volunteered,  I  had  no  right 
to  complain.  Such  was  the  precision  of  the  enemy's  fire, 
that  we  could  tell  the  stone  that  would  be  hit  by  the  next 
shot,  merely  from  seeing  where  the  last  had  struck,  and 
our  men  were   frequently  wounded  by  the  splinters  of 


88  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

granite  with  which  the  walls  were  built,  and  others  picked 
offlike  partridges,  by  the  Swiss  corps  on  the  hill  close  to  us. 

Our  force  in  the  castle  consisted  of  a  hundred  and 
thirty  English  seamen  and  marines,  one  company  of 
Spanish,  and  another  of  Swiss  troops  in  Spanish  pay. 
Never  were  troops  worse  paid  and  fed,  or  better  fired 
at.  We  all  pigged  in  together;  dirty  straw  and  fleas 
for  our  beds ;  our  food  on  the  same  scale  of  luxury ; 
from  the  captain  downwards  there  was  no  distinction. 
Fighting  is  sometimes  a  very  agreeable  pastime,  but  excess 
"palls  on  the  sense:"  and  here  we  had  enough  of  it, 
without  what  I  always  thought  an  indispensable  accom- 
paniment, namely,  a  good  bellyful ;  nor  did  I  conceive 
how  a  man  could  perform  his  duty  without  it ;  but  here 
I  was  forced,  with  many  others,  to  make  the  experiment, 
and  when  the  boats  could  not  land,  which  was  often  the 
case,  we  piped  to  dinner  pro  forma,  as  our  captain  liked 
regularity,  and  drank  cold  water  to  fill  our  stomachs. 

I  have  often  heard  my  poor  old  uncle  say  that  no  man 
knows  what  he  can  do  till  he  tries ;  and  the  enemy  gave 
us  plenty  of  opportunities  of  displaying  our  ingenuity, 
industry,  watchfulness,  and  abstinence.  When  poor 
Penelope  wove  her  web,  the  poet  says — 

"  The  night  unravelled  what  the  day  began." 

With  us  it  was  precisely  the  reverse :  the  day  destroyed 
all  the  labours  of  the  night.  The  hours  of  darkness 
were  employed  by  us  in  filling  sand-bags,  and  laying  them 
in  the  breach,  clearing  away  rubbish,  and  preparing  to 
receive  the  enemy's  fire,  which  was  sure  to  recommence 
at  daylight.  These  avocations,  together  with  a  constant 
and  most  vigilant  watch  against  surprise,  took  up  so  much 
of  our  time  that  little  was  left  for  repose,  and  our  meals 
required  still  less. 

There  was  some  originality  in  one  of  our  modes  of 
defence,  and  which,  not  being  secundum  artem,  might  have 
provoked  the  smile  of  an  engineer.  The  captain  con- 
trived to  make  a  shoot  of  smooth  deal  boards,  which  he 


The  Naval  Officer  89 

received  from  the  ship :  these  he  placed  in  a  slanting 
direction  in  the  breach,  and  caused  them  to  be  well 
greased  with  cook's  slush ;  so  that  the  enemies  who 
wished  to  come  into  our  hold,  must  have  jumped  down 
upon  them,  and  would  in  an  instant  be  precipitated  into 
the  ditch  below,  a  very  considerable  depth,  where  they 
might  either  have  remained  till  the  doctor  came  to  them, 
or,  if  they  were  able,  begin  their  labours  de  novo.  This 
was  a  very  good  bug-trap ;  for,  at  that  time,  I  thought 
just  as  little  of  killing  a  Frenchman  as  I  did  of  destroying 
the  filthy  little  nightly  depredator  just  mentioned. 

Besides  this  slippery  trick,  which  we  played  them  with 
great  success,  we  served  them  another.  We  happened 
to  have  on  board  the  frigate  a  large  quantity  of  fish- 
hooks ;  these  we  planted,  not  only  on  the  greasy  boards, 
but  in  every  part  where  the  intruders  were  likely  to  place 
their  hands  or  feet.  The  breach  itself  was  mined,  and 
loaded  with  shells  and  hand-grenades;  masked  guns, 
charged  up  to  the  muzzle  with  musket-balls,  enfiladed 
the  spot  in  every  direction.  Such  were  our  defences ; 
and,  considering  that  we  had  been  three  weeks  in  the 
castle,  opposed  to  such  mighty  odds,  it  is  surprising  that 
we  only  lost  twenty  men.     The  crisis  was  now  approaching. 

One  morning,  very  early,  I  happened  to  have  the  look- 
out. The  streak  of  fog  which  during  the  night  hangs 
between  the  hills  in  that  country,  and  presses  down  into 
the  valleys,  had  just  begun  to  rise,  and  the  stars  to  grow 
more  dim  above  our  heads,  when  I  was  looking  over  the 
castle-wall  towards  the  breach.  The  captain  came  out  and 
asked  me  what  I  was  looking  at.  I  told  him  I  hardly 
knew;  but  there  did  appear  something  unusual  in  the 
valley,  immediately  below  the  breach.  He  listened  a 
moment,  looked  attentively  with  his  night-glass,  and  ex- 
claimed, in  his  firm  voice,  but  in  an  undertoned  manner, 
"  To  arms  ! — they  are  coming  !  " 

In  three  minutes  every  man  was  at  his  post ;  and  though 
all  were  quick,  there  was  no  time  to  spare,  for  by  this 
time  the  black  column  of  the  enemy  was  distinctly  visible, 


90  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

curling  along  the  valley  like  a  great  centipede ;  and,  with 
the  daring  enterprise  so  common  among  the  troops  of 
Napoleon,  had  begun  in  silence  to  mount  the  breach.  It 
was  an  awful  and  eventful  moment ;  but  the  coolness  and 
determination  of  the  little  garrison  was  equal  to  the  occasion. 

The  word  was  given  to  take  good  aim,  and  a  volley 
from  the  masked  guns  and  musketry  was  poured  into  the 
thick  of  them.  They  paused — deep  groans  ascended  ! 
They  retreated  a  few  paces  in  confusion,  then  rallied, 
and  again  advanced  to  the  attack ;  and  now  the  fire  on 
both  sides  was  kept  up  without  intermission.  The  great 
guns  from  the  hill  fort,  and  the  Swiss  sharpshooters, 
still  nearer,  poured  copious  volleys  upon  us,  and  with 
loud  shouts  cheered  on  their  comrades  to  the  assault. 
As  they  approached  and  covered  our  mine,  the  train  was 
fired,  and  up  they  went  in  the  air,  and  down  they  fell 
buried  in  the  ruins.  Groans,  screams,  confusion,  French 
yells,  British  hurras  rent  the  sky  !  The  hills  resounded 
with  the  shouts  of  victory  !  We  sent  them  hand-grenades 
in  abundance,  and  broke  their  shins  in  glorious  style. 
I  must  say  that  the  French  behaved  nobly,  though  many 
a  tall  grenadier  and  pioneer  fell  by  the  symbol  in  front 
of  his  warlike  cap.  I  cried  with  rage  and  excitement ; 
and  we  all  fought  like  bull-dogs,  for  we  knew  there  was 
no  quarter  to  be  given. 

Ten  minutes  had  elapsed  since  the  firing  began,  and  in 
that  time  many  a  brave  fellow  had  bit  the  dust.  The 
head  of  their  attacking  column  had  been  destroyed  by 
the  explosion  of  our  mine.  Still  they  had  re-formed,  and 
were  again  half-way  up  the  breach  when  the  day  began 
to  dawn ;  and  we  saw  a  chosen  body  of  one  thousand 
men,  led  on  by  their  colonel,  and  advancing  over  the 
dead  which  had  just  fallen. 

The  gallant  leader  appeared  to  be  as  cool  and  composed 
as  if  he  were  at  breakfast ;  with  his  drawn  sword  he 
pointed  to  the  breach,  and  we  heard  him  exclaim,  "  Suivez 
tnoi!"  I  felt  jealous  of  this  brave  fellow — jealous  of  his 
being  a  Frenchman ;  and  I  threw  a  lighted  hand-grenade 


The  Naval  Officer  91 

between  his  feet — he  picked  it  up,  and  threw  it  from  him 
to  a  considerable  distance. 

"  Cool  chap  enough  that,"  said  the  captain,  who  stood 
close  to  me  ;  "  I'll  give  him  another  ;  "  which  he  did,  but 
this  the  officer  kicked  away  with  equal  sang  froid  and 
dignity.  "  Nothing  will  cure  that  fellow,"  resumed  the 
captain,  "but  an  ounce  of  lead  on  an  empty  stomach — 
it's  a  pity,  too,  to  kill  so  fine  a  fellow — but  there  is  no 
help  for  it." 

So  saying,  he  took  a  musket  out  of  my  hand,  which  I 
had  just  loaded  —  aimed,  fired — the  colonel  staggered, 
clapped  his  hand  to  his  breast,  and  fell  back  into  the 
arms  of  some  of  his  men,  who  threw  down  their  muskets, 
and  took  him  on  their  shoulders,  either  unconscious  or 
perfectly  regardless  of  the  death-work  which  was  going 
on  around  them.  The  firing  redoubled  from  our  musketry 
on  this  little  group,  every  man  of  whom  was  either  killed 
or  wounded.  The  colonel,  again  left  to  himself,  tottered 
a  few  paces  further,  till  he  reached  a  small  bush,  not  ten 
yards  from  the  spot  where  he  received  his  mortal  wound. 
Here  he  fell;  his  sword,  which  he  still  grasped  in  his 
right  hand,  rested  on  the  boughs,  and  pointed  upwards 
to  the  sky,  as  if  directing  the  road  to  the  spirit  of  its 
gallant  master. 

With  the  life  of  the  colonel  ended  the  hopes  of  the 
French  for  that  day.  The  officers,  we  could  perceive, 
did  their  duty — cheered,  encouraged,  and  drove  on  their 
men,  but  all  in  vain  !  We  saw  them  pass  their  swords 
through  the  bodies  of  the  fugitives ;  but  the  men  did 
not  even  mind  that — they  would  only  be  killed  in  their 
own  way — they  had  had  fighting  enough  for  one  breakfast. 
The  first  impulse,  the  fiery  onset,  had  been  checked  by 
the  fall  of  their  brave  leader,  and  sauve  qui  peut,  whether 
coming  from  the  officers  or  drummers,  no  matter  which, 
terminated  the  affair,  and  we  were  left  a  little  time  to 
breathe,  and  to  count  the  number  of  our  dead. 

The  moment  the  French  perceived  from  their  batteries 
that  the  attempt  had  failed,  and  that   the  leader  of  the 


92  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

enterprise  was  dead,  they  poured  in  an  angry  fire  upon 
us.  I  stuck  my  hat  on  the  bayonet  of  my  musket,  and 
just  showed  it  above  the  wall.  A  dozen  bullets  were 
through  it  in  a  minute :  very  fortunately  my  head  was 
not  in  it. 

The  fire  of  the  batteries  having  ceased,  which  it  gener- 
ally did  at  stated  periods,  we  had  an  opportunity  of 
examining  the  point  of  attack.  Scaling-ladders,  and  dead 
bodies  lay  in  profusion.  All  the  wounded  had  been 
removed,  but  what  magnificent  "  food  for  powder  "  were 
the  bodies  which  lay  before  us ! — all,  it  would  seem, 
picked  men ;  not  one  less  than  six  feet,  and  some  more : 
they  were  clad  in  their  grey  capots,  to  render  their  appear- 
ance more  sombre,  and  less  discernible  in  the  twilight  of 
the  morning :  and  as  the  weather  was  cold  during  the 
nights,  I  secretly  determined  to  have  one  of  those  great 
coats  as  a  chere  amie  to  keep  me  warm  in  night-watches. 
I  also  resolved  to  have  the  colonel's  sword  to  present  to 
my  captain  ;  and  as  soon  as  it  was  dark  I  walked  down 
the  breach,  brought  up  one  of  the  scaling-ladders,  which 
I  deposited  in  the  castle ;  and  having  done  so  much  for 
the  king,  I  set  out  to  do  something  for  myself. 

It  was  pitch  dark.  I  stumbled  on:  the  wind  blew  a 
hurricane,  and  the  dust  and  mortar  almost  blinded  me ; 
but  I  knew  my  way  pretty  well.  Yet  there  was  some- 
thing very  jackall-like,  in  wandering  about  among  dead 
bodies  in  the  night-time,  and  I  really  felt  a  horror  at  my 
situation.  There  was  a  dreadful  stillness  between  the 
blasts,  which  the  pitch  darkness  made  peculiarly  awful 
to  an  unfortified  mind.  It  is  for  this  reason  that  I  would 
ever  discourage  night-attacks,  unless  you  can  rely  on 
your  men.  They  generally  fail :  because  the  man  of 
common  bravery,  who  would  acquit  himself  fairly  in 
broad  daylight,  will  hang  back  during  the  night.  Fear 
and  Darkness  have  always  been  firm  allies ;  and  are 
inseparably  playing  into  each  other's  hands.  Darkness 
conceals  Fear,  and  therefore  Fear  loves  Darkness,  because 
it  saves  the  coward  from  shame;   and  when  the  fear  of 


The  Naval  Officer  93 

shame  is  the  only  stimulus  to  fight,  daylight  is  essentially 
neceassry. 

I  crept  cautiously  along,  feeling  for  the  dead  bodies. 
The  first  I  laid  my  hand  on,  made  my  blood  curdle.  It 
was  the  lacerated  thigh  of  a  grenadier,  whose  flesh  had 
been  torn  off  by  a  hand-grenade.  "  Friend,"  said  I,  "  if 
I  may  j  udge  from  the  nature  of  your  wound,  your  great 
coat  is  not  worth  having."  The  next  subject  I  handled, 
had  been  better  killed.  A  musket-ball  through  his  head 
had  settled  all  his  tradesmen's  bills  *,  and  I  hesitated  not 
in  becoming  residuary  legatee,  as  I  was  sure  the  assets 
would  more  than  discharge  the  undertaker's  bill;  but 
the  body  was  cold  and  stiff,  and  did  not  readily  yield 
its  garment. 

I,  however,  succeeded  in  obtaining  my  object ;  in  which 
I  arrayed  myself,  and  went  on  in  search  of  the  colonel's 
sword ;  but  here  I  had  been  anticipated  by  a  Frenchman. 
The  colonel,  indeed,  lay  there,  stiff  enough,  but  his 
sword  was  gone.  I  was  preparing  to  return,  when  I 
encountered,  not  a  dead,  but  a  living  enemy. 

"  Qui  vive  f  "  said  a  low  voice. 

"  Anglois,  bete!"  answered  I,  in  a  low  tone:  and 
added,  "  mats  les  corsairs  ne  se  battent  pas." 

"  Cest  vrai"  said  he  y  and  growling,  *■*.  bon  soir"  he 
was  soon  out  of  sight.  I  scrambled  back  to  the  castle, 
gave  the  countersign  to  the  sentinel,  and  showed  my  new 
great  coat  with  a  vast  deal  of  glee  and  satisfaction  ;  some 
of  my  comrades  went  on  the  same  sort  of  expedition,  and 
were  rewarded  with  more  or  less  success. 

In  a  few  days  the  dead  bodies  on  the  breach  were 
nearly  denuded  by  nightly  visitors  ;  but  that  of  the  colonel 
lay  respected  and  untouched.  The  heat  of  the  day  had 
blackened  it,  and  it  was  now  deprived  of  all  its  manly 
beauty,  and  nothing  remained  but  a  loathsome  corpse. 
The  rules  of  war,  as  well  as  of  humanity,  demanded  the 
honourable  interment  of  the  remains  of  this  hero  ;  and  our 
captain,  who  was  the  very  flower  of  chivalry,  desired  me 
to  stick  a  white  handkerchief  on  a  pike,  as  a  flag  of  truce, 
and  bury  the  bodies,  if  the  enemy  would  permit  us. 


94  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

I  went  out  accordingly,  with  a  spade  and  a  pick-axe  ;  but 
the  tirailleurs  on  the  hill  began  with  their  rifles,  and 
wounded  one  of  my  men.  I  looked  at  the  captain,  as 
much  as  to  say,  "  Am  I  to  proceed  ?  "  He  motioned  with 
his  hand  to  go  on,  and  I  then  began  digging  a  hole  by  the 
side  of  a  dead  body,  and  the  enemy,  seeing  my  intention, 
desisted  from  firing.  I  had  buried  several,  when  the 
captain  came  out  and  joined  me,  with  a  view  of  recon- 
noitring the  position  of  the  enemy.  He  was  seen  from 
the  fort,  and  recognized ;  and  his  intention  pretty  accur- 
ately guessed  at. 

We  were  near  the  body  of  the  colonel,  which  we  were 
going  to  inter;  when  the  captain,  observing  a  diamond 
ring  on  the  finger  of  the  corpse,  said  to  one  of  the  sailors, 
"  You  may  just  as  well  take  that  off:  it  can  be  of  no  use 
to  him  now."  The  man  tried  to  get  it  off,  but  the  rigidity 
of  the  muscle  after  death  prevented  his  moving  it.  "  He 
won't  feel  your  knife,  poor  fellow,"  said  the  captain ; 
"  and  a  finger  more  or  less  is  no  great  matter  to  him  now : 
off  with  it." 

The  sailor  began  to  saw  the  finger-joint  with  his  knife, 
when  down  came  a  twenty-four  pound  shot,  and  with  such 
a  good  direction  that  it  took  the  shoe  off  the  man's  foot, 
and  the  shovel  out  of  the  hand  of  another  man.  "  In  with 
him,  and  cover  him  up  !  "  said  the  captain. 

We  did  so  ;  when  another  shot  not  quite  so  well  directed 
as  the  first,  threw  the  dirt  in  our  faces,  and  ploughed  the 
ground  at  our  feet.  The  captain  then  ordered  his  men  to 
run  into  the  castle,  which  they  instantly  obeyed ;  while  he 
himself  walked  leisurely  along  through  a  shower  of 
musket-balls  from  those  cursed  Swiss  dogs,  whom  I  most 
fervently  wished  at  the  devil,  because,  as  an  aide-de-camp, 
I  felt  bound  in  honour  as  well  as  duty  to  walk  by  the  side 
of  my  captain,  fully  expecting  every  moment  that  a  rifle- 
ball  would  have  hit  me  where  I  should  have  been  ashamed 
to  show  the  scar.  I  thought  this  funeral  pace,  after  the 
funeral  was  over,  confounded  nonsense  ;  but  my  fire-eating 
captain  never  had  run  away  from  a  Frenchman,  and  did 
not  intend  to  begin  then. 


The  Naval  Officer  95 

I  was  behind  him,  making  these  reflections,  and  as  the 
shot  began  to  fly  very  thick,  I  stepped  up  alongside  of  him, 
and,  by  degrees,  brought  him  between  me  and  the  lire. 
"  Sir,"  said  I,  "  as  I  am  only  a  midshipman,  I  don't  care  so 
much  about  honour  as  you  do  ;  and,  therefore,  if  it  makes 
no  difference  to  you,  I'll  take  the  liberty  of  getting  under 
your  lee."  He  laughed,  and  said,  "  I  did  not  know  you 
were  here,  for  I  meant  you  should  have  gone  with  the 
others :  but,  since  you  are  out  of  your  station,  Mr 
Mildmay,  I  will  make  that  use  of  you  which  you  so 
ingeniously  proposed  to  make  of  me.  My  life  may  be  of 
some  importance  here;  but  yours  very  little,  and  another 
midshipman  can  be  had  from  the  ship  only  for  asking :  so 
just  drop  astern,  if  you  please,  and  do  duty  as  a  breast- 
work for  me ! " 

"  Certainly,  sir,"  said  I,  "  by  all  means  ; "  and  I  took  my 
station  accordingly. 

"  Now,"  said  the  captain,  "  if  you  are  '  doubled  up?  I  will 
take  you  on  my  shoulders  !  " 

I  expressed  myself  exceedingly  obliged,  not  only  for  the 
honour  he  had  conferred  on  me,  but  also  for  that  which  he 
intended ;  but  hoped  I  should  have  no  occasion  to  trouble 
him. 

Whether  the  enemy  took  pity  on  my  youth  and  innocence, 
or  whether  they  purposely  missed  us,  I  cannot  say  :  I  only 
know  I  was  very  happy  when  I  found  myself  inside  the 
castle  with  a  whole  skin,  and  should  very  readily  have 
reconciled  myself  to  any  measure  which  would  have  restored 
me  even  to  the  comforts  and  conveniences  of  a  man-of-war's 
cockpit.  All  human  enjoyment  is  comparative,  and  nothing 
ever  convinced  me  of  it  so  much  and  so  forcibly  as  what 
took  place  at  this  memorable  siege. 

Fortune,  and  the  well  known  cowardice  of  the  Spaniards, 
released  me  from  this  jeopardy  ;  they  surrendered  the  cita- 
del, after  which  the  castle  was  of  no  use,  and  we  ran  down 
to  our  boats  as  fast  as  we  could ;  and  notwithstanding  the 
very  assiduous  fire  of  the  watchful  tirailleurs  on  the  hill, 
we  all  got  on  board  without  accident. 


g6  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

There  was  one  very  singular  feature  in  this  affair.  The 
Swiss  mercenaries  in  the  French  and  Spanish  services, 
opposed  to  each  other,  behaved  with  the  greatest  bravery, 
and  did  their  duty  with  unexceeded  fidelity ;  but  being 
posted  so  near,  and  coming  so  often  in  contact  with  each 
other,  they  would  cry  truce  for  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  while 
they  made  inquiries  after  their  mutual  friends ;  often 
recognizing  each  other  as  fathers  and  sons,  brothers  and 
near  relatives,  fighting  on  opposite  sides.  They  would 
laugh  and  joke  with  each  other,  declare  the  truce  at  an  end, 
then  load  their  muskets,  and  take  aim,  with  the  same  indif- 
ference, as  regarded  the  object,  as  if  they  had  been  perfect 
strangers  ;  but,  as  I  before  observed,  fighting  is  a  trade. 

From  Rosas  we  proceeded  to  join  the  admiral  off  Toulon; 
and  being  informed  that  a  battery  of  six  brass  guns,  in  the 
port  of  Silva,  would  be  in  possession  of  the  French  in  a 
few  hours,  we  ran  in,  and  anchored  within  pistol-shot  of  it. 
We  lashed  blocks  to  our  lower  mast-heads,  rove  hawsers 
through  them,  sent  the  ends  on  shore,  made  them  fast  to 
the  guns,  and  hove  off  three  of  them,  one  after  another, 
by  the  capstan ;  and  had  the  end  of  the  hawser  on  shore, 
ready  for  the  others,  when  our  marine  videttes  were  sur- 
prised by  the  French,  driven  in,  and  retreated  to  the  beach 
with  the  loss  of  one  man  taken  prisoner. 

Not  having  sufficient  force  on  shore  to  resist  them,  we 
re-embarked  our  party,  and  the  French,  taking  up  a  position 
behind  the  rocks,  commenced  a  heavy  fire  of  musketry  upon 
us.  We  answered  it  with  the  same ;  and  now  and  then 
gave  them  a  great  gun;  but  they  had  the  advantage  of 
position,  and  wounded  ten  or  eleven  of  our  men  from  their 
elevated  stations  behind  the  rocks.  At  sunset  this  ceased, 
when  a  boat  came  off  from  the  shore,  pulled  by  one  Spani- 
ard ;  he  brought  a  letter  for  the  captain,  from  the  officer 
commanding  the  French  detachment.  It  presented  the 
French  captain's  compliments  to  ours ;  regretted  the  little 
interruption  he  had  given  to  our  occupation ;  remarked  that 
the  weather  was  cold,  and  as  he  had  been  ordered  off  in  a 
hurry,  he  had  not  had  time  to  provide  himself;  and  as  there 


The  Naval  Officer  97 

was  always  a  proper  feeling  among  braves  gens,  requested 
a  few  gallons  of  rum  for  himself  and  followers. 

This  request  was  answered  with  a  polite  note,  and  the 
spirits  required.  The  British  captain  hoped  the  command- 
ant and  his  party  would  make  themselves  comfortable,  and 
have  a  bon  repos.  The  captain,  however,  intended  the 
Frenchman  should  pay  for  the  spirits,  though  not  in  money, 
and  sent  in  the  bill  about  one  o'clock  in  the  morning. 

All  at  that  hour  was  as  still  as  death ;  the  French  guard 
had  refreshed  themselves,  and  were  enjoying  the  full  extent 
of  our  captain's  benefaction,  when  he  observed  to  us  that 
it  was  a  pity  to  lose  the  boat  which  was  left  on  shore,  as 
well  as  the  other  brass  guns,  and  proposed  making  the 
attempt  to  bring  off  both.  Five  or  six  of  us  stripped,  and 
lowering  ourselves  into  the  water,  very  gently  swam  ashore, 
in  a  breathless  kind  of  silence,  that  would  have  done  hon- 
our to  a  Pawnee  Loup  Indian.  The  water  was  very  cold, 
and  at  first  almost  took  away  my  respiration.  We  landed 
under  the  battery,  and  having  first  secured  our  boat  with- 
out noise,  we  crept  softly  up  to  where  the  end  of  the 
hawsers  lay  by  the  side  of  the  guns,  to  which  we  instantly 
made  them  fast.  About  a  dozen  French  soldiers  were 
lying  near,  keeping  watch,  fast  asleep. 

We  might  easily  have  killed  them  all ;  but  as  we  con- 
sidered they  were  under  the  influence  of  our  rum,  we 
abhorred  such  a  violation  of  hospitality.  We  helped  our- 
selves, however,  to  most  of  the  muskets  that  were  near  us, 
and  very  quietly  getting  into  the  boat,  put  off  and  rowed 
with  two  oars  to  the  ship.  The  noise  of  the  oars  woke 
some  of  the  soldiers,  who,  jumping  up,  fired  at  us  with  all 
the  arms  they  had  left ;  and  I  believe  soon  got  a  reinforce- 
ment, for  they  fired  both  quick  and  well ;  and,  as  it  was 
starlight  and  we  were  naked,  our  bodies  were  easily  seen, 
so  that  the  shot  came  very  thick  about  us. 

"  Diving,"  said  I,  "is  not  running  away  ; "  so  over  we 
all  went,  except  two.  I  was  down  like  a  porpoise,  never 
rising  till  my  head  touched  the  ship's  copper.  I  swam 
round  the  stern,  and  was   taken  in  on  the  side  opposite 

M  G 


98  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

the  enemy.  My  captain,  I  daresay,  would  have  disdained 
such  a  compromise  ;  but  though  I  was  as  proud  as  he 
was,  I  always  thought,  with  FalstafF,  that  "  discretion 
was  the  better  part  of  valour,"  especially  in  a  midshipman. 

The  men  left  in  the  boat  got  safe  on  board  with  her. 
The  hands  were  all  ready,  and  the  moment  our  oars 
splashed  in  the  water,  they  hove  round  cheerfully,  and 
the  guns  came  galloping  down  the  rocks  like  young 
kangaroos.  They  were  soon  under  water,  and  long 
before  the  Frenchmen  could  get  a  cut  at  the  hawsers. 
They  then  fired  at  them  with  their  muskets,  in  hopes 
of  stranding  the  rope,  but  they  failed  in  that  also.  We 
secured  the  guns  on  board,  and  before  daylight  got  under 
weigh,  and  made  sail  for  the  fleet,  which  we  joined  shortly 
afterwards. 

I  here  learned  that  my  own  ship  had  fought  a  gallant 
action  with  an  enemy's  frigate,  had  taken  her  opponent, 
but  had  suffered  so  much  that  she  was  ordered  home  for 
repairs,  and  had  sailed  for  England  from  Gibraltar. 

I  had  letters  of  introduction  to  the  rear-admiral,  who 
was  second  in  command ;  and  I  thought,  under  these 
circumstances  the  best  thing  I  could  do  would  be  to  "clean 
myself,"  as  the  phrase  used  to  be  in  those  days,  and  go 
on  board  and  present  them.  I  went  accordingly,  and  saw 
the  flag-captain,  who  took  my  letters  in  to  the  admiral, 
and  brought  out  a  verbal,  and  not  a  very  civil  message, 
saying,  I  might  join  the  ship,  if  I  pleased,  until  my  own 
returned  to  the  station.  As  it  happened  to  suit  my  con- 
venience, I  did  please ;  and  the  manner  in  which  the 
favour  was  conferred  disburdened  my  mind  of  any  incum- 
brance of  gratitude.  The  reception  was  not  such  as  I 
might  have  expected :  had  the  letters  not  been  from 
people  of  distinction,  and  friends  of  the  rear-admiral,  I 
should  much  have  preferred  remaining  in  the  frigate, 
whose  captain  also  wished  it,  but  that  was  not  allowed. 

To  the  flag-ship,  therefore,  I  came,  and  why  I  was 
brought  here,  I  never  could  discover,  unless  it  was  for 
the   purpose   of    completing    a   menagerie,    for   I    found 


The  Naval  Officer  99 

between  sixty  and  seventy  midshipmen  already  assembled. 
They  were  mostly  youngsters,  followers  of  the  rear- 
admiral,  and  had  seen  very  little,  if  any,  service,  and  I 
had  seen  a  great  deal  for  the  time  I  had  been  afloat. 
Listening  eagerly  to  my  "  yarns,"  the  youthful  ardour 
of  these  striplings  kindled,  and  they  longed  to  emulate 
my  deeds.  The  consequence  was  numerous  applications 
from  the  midshipmen  to  be  allowed  to  join  the  frigates 
on  the  station  ;  not  one  was  contented  in  the  flag-ship  ; 
and  the  captain  having  discovered  that  I  was  the  tarantula 
which  had  bitten  them,  hated  me  accordingly,  and  not 
a  jot  more  than  I  hated  him. 

The  captain  was  a  very  large,  ill-made,  broad-shouldered 
man,  with  a  lack-lustre  eye,  a  pair  of  thick  lips,  and  a 
very  unmeaning  countenance.  He  wore  a  large  pair  of 
epaulettes ;  he  was  irritable  in  his  temper  ;  and  when 
roused,  which  was  frequent,  was  always  violent  and  over- 
bearing. His  voice  was  like  thunder,  and  when  he 
launched  out  on  the  poor  midshipmen,  they  reminded  me 
of  the  trembling  bird  which,  when  fascinated  by  the  eye 
of  the  snake,  loses  its  powers,  and  falls  at  once  into  the 
jaws  of  the  monster.  When  much  excited,  he  had  a 
custom  of  shaking  his  shoulders  up  and  down  j  and  his 
epaulettes,  on  these  occasions,  flapped  like  the  huge  ears 
of  a  trotting  elephant.  At  the  most  distant  view  of  his 
person  or  sound  of  his  voice,  every  midshipman,  not  obliged 
to  remain,  fled,  like  the  land-crabs  on  a  West  India  beach. 
He  was  incessantly  taunting  me,  was  sure  to  find  some 
fault  or  other  with  me,  and  sneeringly  called  me  "  one 
of  your  frigate  midshipmen." 

Irritated  by  this  unjust  treatment,  I  one  day  answered 
that  I  tuas  a  frigate  midshipman,  and  hoped  I  could  do  my 
duty  as  well  as  any  line-of-battle  midshipman,  of  my  own 
standing,  in  the  service.  For  this  injudicious  and  rather 
impertinent  remark,  I  was  ordered  aft  on  the  quarter-deck, 
and  the  captain  went  in  to  the  admiral,  and  asked  per- 
mission to  flog  me  •,  but  the  admiral  refused,  observing, 
that   he   did  not   admire  the    system   of  flogging  young 


i  oo  Frank  Mildmay  ;  or, 

gentlemen  :  and,  moreover,  that  in  the  present  instance 
he  saw  no  reason  for  it.  So  I  escaped ;  but  I  led  a  sad 
life  of  it,  and  often  did  I  pray  for  the  return  of  my  own 
ship. 

Among  other  exercises  of  the  fleet,  we  used  always 
to  reef  topsails  at  sunset,  and  this  was  usually  done  by 
all  the  ships  at  the  same  moment,  waiting  the  signal  from 
the  admiral  to  begin ;  in  this  exercise  there  was  much 
foolish  rivalry,  and  very  serious  accidents,  as  well  as 
numerous  punishments,  took  place,  in  consequence  of 
one  ship  trying  to  excel  another.  On  these  occasions 
our  captain  would  bellow  and  foam  at  the  mouth  like  a 
mad  bull,  up  and  down  the  quarter-deck. 

One  fine  evening  the  signal  was  made,  the  topsails 
lowered  and  the  men  laying  out  on  the  yards,  when  a 
poor  fellow  from  the  main-topsail  yard  fell,  in  his  trying 
to  lay  out ;  and,  striking  his  shoulder  against  the  main 
channels,  broke  his  arm.  I  saw  he  was  disabled,  and 
could  not  swim :  and,  perceiving  him  sinking,  I  darted 
overboard,  and  held  him  until  a  boat  came  and  picked 
us  up ;  as  the  water  was  smooth,  and  there  was  little 
wind,  and  the  ship  not  going  more  than  two  miles  an 
hour,  I  incurred  little  risk. 

When  I  came  on  deck  I  found  the  captain  fit  for 
Bedlam,  because  the  accident  had  delayed  the  topsails 
going  to  the  masthead  quite  as  quick  as  the  rest  of  the 
fleet.  He  threatened  to  flog  the  man  for  falling  over- 
board, and  ordered  me  off  the  quarter-deck.  This  was 
great  injustice  to  both  of  us.  Of  all  the  characters 
I  ever  met  with,  holding  so  high  a  rank  in  the  service, 
this  man  was  the  most  unpleasant. 

Shortly  after,  we  were  ordered  to  Minorca  to  refit; 
here,  to  my  great  joy,  I  found  my  own  ship,  and  I 
"  shook  the  dust  off  my  feet,"  and  quitted  the  flag  with 
a  light  heart.  During  the  time  I  had  been  on  board, 
the  admiral  had  never  said,  "How  do  ye  do?"  to  me 
— nor  did  he  say,  f*  Good-bye,"  when  I  quitted.  Indeed, 
I  should   have  left   the   ship  without   ever   having    been 


'    The  Naval  Officer  101 

honoured  with  his  notice,  if  it  had  not  happened,  that 
a  favourite  pointer  of  his  was  a  shipmate  of  mine.  I 
recollect  hearing  of  a  man  who  boasted  that  the  king 
had  spoken  to  him  ;  and  when  it  was  asked  what  he 
had  said,  replied,  "He  desired  me  to  get  out  of  his 
way." 

My  intercourse  with  the  admiral  was  about  as  friendly 
and  flattering.  Pompey  and  I  were  on  the  poop.  I  pre- 
sented him  with  a  piece  of  hide  to  gnaw,  by  way  of 
pastime.  The  admiral  came  on  the  poop,  and  seeing 
Pompey  thus  employed,  asked  who  gave  him  that  piece 
of  hide  ?  The  yeoman  of  the  signals  said  it  was  me. 
The  admiral  shook  his  long  spy-glass  at  me,  and  said, 
"  By  G — ,  sir,  if  ever  you  give  Pompey  a  bit  of  hide 
again,  I  will  flog  you." 

This  is  all  I  have  to  say  of  the  admiral,  and  all  the 
admiral  ever  said  to  me. 


Chapter  VIII 

Since  laws  were  made  for  every  degree, 

I  wonder  we  haven't  better  company  on  Tyburn  tree. 

" Beggar* t  Opera" 

While  I  was  on  board  of  this  ship  two  poor  men  were 
executed  for  mutiny.  The  scene  was  far  more  solemn  to 
me  than  anything  I  had  ever  beheld.  Indeed  it  was  the  first 
thing  of  the  kind  I  had  ever  been  present  at.  When  we 
hear  of  executions  on  shore,  we  are  always  prepared  to  read 
of  some  foul  atrocious  crime,  some  unprovoked  and  un- 
mitigated offence  against  the  laws  of  civilized  society, 
which  a  just  and  merciful  government  cannot  allow  to  pass 
unpunished.  With  us  at  sea  there  are  many  shades  of 
difference  ;  but  that  which  the  law  of  our  service  considers 
a  serious  offence  is  often  no  more  than  an  ebullition  of 
local  and  temporary  feeling,  which  in  some  cases  might  be 


102  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

curbed,  and  in  others  totally  suppressed  by  timely  firm- 
ness and  conciliation. 

The  ships  had  been  a  long  time  at  sea,  the  enemy  did 
not  appear — and  there  was  no  chance  either  of  bringing 
him  to  action,  or  of  returning  into  port.  Indeed  nothing 
can  be  more  dull  and  monotonous  than  a  blockading  cruise 
"  in  the  team,"  as  we  call  it ;  that  is,  the  ships  of  the 
line  stationed  to  watch  an  enemy.  The  frigates  have,  in 
this  respect,  every  advantage ;  they  are  always  employed 
on  shore,  often  in  action,  and  the  more  men  they  have 
killed,  the  happier  are  the  survivors.  Some  melancholy 
ferment  on  board  of  the  flag-ship  I  was  in  caused  an  open 
mutiny.  Of  course  it  was  very  soon  quelled ;  and  the 
ringleaders  having  been  tried  by  a  court-martial,  two  of 
them  were  condemned  to  be  hanged  at  the  yard-arm  of 
their  own  ship,  and  were  ordered  for  execution  the 
following  day  but  one. 

Our  courts-martial  are  always  arrayed  in  the  most 
pompous  manner,  and  certainly  are  calculated  to  strike 
the  mind  with  awe — even  of  a  captain  himself.  A  gun 
is  fired  at  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning  from  the  ship 
where  it  is  to  be  held,  and  a  union  flag  is  displayed  at  the 
mizen  peak.  If  the  weather  be  fine,  the  ship  is  arranged 
with  the  greatest  nicety  ;  her  decks  are  as  white  as  snow — 
her  hammocks  are  stowed  with  care — her  ropes  are  taut — 
her  yards  square — her  guns  run  out — and  a  guard  of 
marines,  under  the  orders  of  a  lieutenant,  prepared  to 
receive  every  member  of  the  court  with  the  honour  due  to 
his  rank.  Before  nine  o'clock  they  are  all  assembled ;  the 
officers  in  their  undress  uniform,  unless  an  admiral  is  to  be 
tried.  The  great  cabin  is  prepared,  with  a  long  table 
covered  with  a  green  cloth.  Pens,  ink,  paper,  prayer-books, 
and  the  Articles  of  War,  are  laid  round  to  every  member. 
"  Open  the  court,"  says  the  president. 

The  court  is  opened,  and  officers  and  men  indiscrimi- 
nately stand  round.  The  prisoners  are  now  brought  in 
under  the  charge  of  the  provost-marshal,  a  master-at-arms, 
with  his  sword  drawn,  and  placed  at  the  foot  of  the  table, 


The  Naval  Officer  103 

on  the  left  hand  of  the  judge-advocate.  The  court  is 
sworn  to  do  its  duty  impartially,  and  if  there  is  any  doubt, 
to  let  it  go  in  favour  of  the  prisoner.  Having  done  this, 
the  members  sit  down,  covered  if  they  please. 

The  judge-advocate  is  then  sworn,  and  the  order  for  the 
court-martial  read.  The  prisoner  is  put  on  his  trial ;  if  he 
says  anything  to  commit  himself,  the  court  stops  him,  and 
kindly  observes,  "  We  do  not  want  your  evidence  against 
yourself;  we  want  only  to  know  what  others  can  prove 
against  you."  The  unfortunate  man  is  offered  any  assist- 
ance he  may  require  ;  and  when  the  defence  is  over,  the 
court  is  cleared,  the  doors  are  shut,  and  the  minutes,  which 
have  been  taken  down  by  the  judge-advocate,  are  carefully 
read  over,  the  credibility  of  the  witnesses  weighed,  and 
the  president  puts  the  question  to  the  youngest  member 
first,  "  Proved,  or  not  proved  ?  " 

All  having  given  their  answer,  if  seven  aTe  in  favour  of 
proved,  and  six  against,  proved  is  recorded.  The  next 
question — if  for  mutiny  or  desertion,,  or  other  capital  crime 
— "  Flogging  or  death  ? "  The  votes  are  given  in  the  same 
way  ;  if  the  majority  be  for  death,  the  judge-advocate 
writes  the  sentence,  and  it  is  signed  by  all  the  members, 
according  to  seniority,  beginning  with  the  president  and 
ending  with  the  judge-advocate.  The  court  is  now  opened 
again,  the  prisoner  brought  in,  and  an  awful  and  deep 
silence  prevails.  The  members  of  the  court  all  put  their 
hats  on,  and  are  seated ;  every  one  else,  except  the  provost- 
marshal  is  uncovered.  As  soon  as  the  judge-advocate 
has  read  the  sentence,  the  prisoners  are  delivered  to  the 
custody  of  the  provost-marshal,  by  a  warrant  from  the 
president,  and  he  has  charge  of  them  till  the  time  for  the 
execution  of  the  sentence. 

About  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  I  received  a 
message  from  one  of  the  prisoners,  saying,  he  wished  much 
to  speak  with  me.  I  followed  the  master-at-arms  down 
to  the  screened  cabin,  in  the  gun-room,  where  the  men 
were  confined  with  their  legs  in  irons.  These  irons  consist 
of  one  long  bar  and  a  set  of  shackles.     The  shackles  fit 


104  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

the  small  part  of  the  leg,  just  above  the  ankle ;  and, 
having  an  eye  on  each  end  of  them,  they  receive  the  leg. 
The  end  of  the  bar  is  then  passed  through,  and  secured 
with  a  padlock.  I  found  the  poor  fellows  sitting  on  a  shot- 
box.  Their  little  meal  lay  before  them  untouched  ;  one  of 
them  cried  bitterly  ;  the  other,  a  man  of  the  name  of 
Strange,  possessed  a  great  deal  of  equanimity,  although 
evidently  deeply  affected.  This  man  had  been  pretty  well 
educated  in  youth,  but  having  taken  a  wild  and  indolent 
turn,  had  got  into  mischief,  and  to  save  himself  from  a 
severe  chastisement,  had  run  away  from  his  friends,  and 
entered  on  board  a  man-of-war.  In  this  situation  he  had 
found  time,  in  the  intervals  of  duty,  to  read  and  to  think ; 
he  became,  in  time,  sullen,  and  separated  himself  from  the 
occasional  merriment  of  his  messmates ;  and  it  is  not 
improbable  that  this  moody  temper  had  given  rise  to  the 
mutinous  acts  for  which  he  was  to  suffer. 

This  man  now  apologized  for  the  liberty  he  had  taken, 
and  said  he  would  not  detain  me  long.  "  You  see,  sir," 
said  he,  "  that  my  poor  friend  is  quite  overcome  with  the 
horror  of  his  situation  :  nor  do  I  wonder  at  it.  He  is  very 
different  from  the  hardened  malefactors  that  are  executed 
on  shore  :  we  are  neither  of  us  afraid  to  die  ;  but  such  a 
death  as  this,  Mr  Mildmay — to  be  hung  up  like  dogs,  an 
example  to  the  fleet,  and  a  shame  and  reproach  to  our 
friends — this  wrings  our  hearts  !  It  is  this  consideration, 
and  to  save  the  feelings  of  my  poor  mother,  that  I  have 
sent  for  you.  I  saw  you  jump  overboard  to  save  a  poor 
fellow  from  drowning  ;  so  I  thought  you  would  not  mind 
doing  a  good  turn  for  another  unfortunate  sailor.  I  have 
made  my  will,  and  appointed  you  my  executor ;  and  with 
this  power  of  attorney  you  will  receive  all  my  pay  and 
prize-money,  which  I  will  thank  you  to  give  to  my  dear 
mother,  whose  address  you  will  find  written  here.  My 
motive  for  this  is,  that  she  may  never  learn  the  history  of 
my  death.  You  can  tell  her  that  I  died  for  my  country's 
good,  which  is  very  true,  for  I  acknowledge  the  justice  of 
my  sentence,  and  own  that  a  severe  example  is  wanting. 


The  Naval  Officer  105 

It  is  eleven  years  since  I  was  in  England  ;  I  have  served 
faithfully  the  whole  of  that  time,  nor  did  I  ever  misbehave 
except  in  this  one  instance.  I  think  if  our  good  king  knew 
my  sad  story,  he  would  be  merciful ;  but  God's  will  be 
done  !  Yet,  if  I  had  a  wish,  it  would  be  that  the  enemy's 
fleet  would  come  out,  and  that  I  might  die,  as  I  have  lived, 
defending  my  country.  But,  Mr  Mildmay,  I  have  one  very 
important  question  to  ask  you — do  you  believe  that  there 
is  such  a  thing  as  a  future  state  ? " 

"  Most  surely,"  said  I ;  "  though  we  all  live  as  if  we  be- 
lieved there  was  no  such  thing.     But  why  do  you  doubt  it  ? " 

"Because,"  said  the  poor  fellow,  "when  I  was  an 
officer's  servant,  I  was  one  day  tending  the  table  in  the 
wardroom,  and  I  heard  the  commander  of  a  sloop  of  war, 
who  was  dining  there  with  his  son,  say  that  it  was  all  non- 
sense— that  there  was  no  future  state,  and  the  Bible  was  a 
heap  of  lies.     I  have  never  been  happy  since." 

I  told  him  that  I  was  extremely  sorry  that  any  officer 
should  have  used  such  expressions  at  all,  particularly  before 
him ;  that  I  was  incapable  of  restoring  his  mind  to  its 
proper  state  ;  but  that  I  should  recommend  his  immediately 
sending  for  the  chaplain,  who,  I  had  no  doubt,  would  give 
him  all  the  comfort  he  could  desire.  He  thanked  me  for 
this  advice,  and  profited  by  it,  as  he  assured  me  in  his  last 
moments. 

"  And  now,  sir,"  said  he,  "let  me  give  you  a  piece  of 
advice.  When  you  are  a  captain,  as  I  am  very  sure  you 
will  be,  do  not  worry  your  men  into  mutiny  by  making 
what  is  called  a  smart  ship.  Cleanliness  and  good  order 
are  what  seamen  like ;  but  niggling,  polishing,  scraping 
iron  bars,  and  ring-bolts,  and  the  like  of  that,  a  sailor  dis- 
likes more  than  a  flogging  at  the  gangway.  If,  in  reefing 
topsails,  you  happen  to  be  a  minute  later  than  another  ship, 
never  mind  it,  so  long  as  your  sails  are  well  reefed,  and  fit 
to  stand  blowing  weather.  Many  a  sail  is  split  by  bad  reef- 
ing, and  many  a  good  sailor  has  lost  his  life  by  that  foolish 
hurry  which  has  done  incredible  harm  in  the  navy.  What 
can  be  more  cruel  or  unjust  than  to  flog  the  last  man  off  the 


106  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

yard  ?  seeing  that  he  is  necessarily  the  most  active,  and  can- 
not get  in  without  the  imminent  danger  of  breaking  his 
neck ;  and,  moreover,  that  one  man  must  be  last.  Depend 
upon  it,  sir,  '  that  nothing  is  well  done  which  is  done  in  a 
hurry.'  But  I  have  kept  you  too  long.  God  bless  you, 
sir ;  remember  my  poor  mother,  and  be  sure  you  meet  me 
on  the  forecastle  to-morrow  morning." 

The  fatal  morning  came.  It  was  eight  o'clock.  The  gun 
fired — the  signal  for  punishment  flew  at  our  mast-head.  The 
poor  men  gave  a  deep  groan,  exclaiming,  "  Lord  have  mercy 
upon  us  ! — our  earthly  career  and  troubles  are  nearly  over!  " 
The  master-at-arms  came  in,  unlocked  the  padlock  at  the  end 
of  the  bars,  and,  slipping  off  the  shackles,  desired  the  marine 
sentinels  to  conduct  the  prisoners  to  the  quarter-deck. 

Here  was  a  scene  of  solemnity  which  I  hardly  dare 
attempt  to  describe.  The  day  was  clear  and  beautiful ;  the 
top-gallant  yards  were  crossed  on  board  of  all  the  ships ; 
the  colours  were  flying ;  the  crews  were  all  dressed  in 
white  trousers  and  blue  jackets,  and  hung  in  clusters,  like 
bees,  on  the  side  of  the  rigging  facing  our  ship :  a  guard 
of  marines,  under  arms,  was  placed  along  each  gangway, 
but  on  board  of  our  ship  they  were  on  the  quarter-deck. 
Two  boats  from  each  ship  lay  off  upon  their  oars  alongside 
of  us,  with  a  lieutenant's  and  a  corporal's  guard  in  each, 
with  fixed  bayonets.  The  hands  were  all  turned  up  by  the 
boatswain  and  his  mates  with  a  shrill  whistle,  and  calling 
down  each  hatchway,  "  All  hands  attend  punishment! " 

You  now  heard  the  quick  trampling  of  feet  up  the  lad- 
ders, but  not  a  word  was  spoken.  The  prisoners  stood  on 
the  middle  of  the  quarter-deck,  while  the  captain  read  the 
sentence  of  the  court-martial  and  the  order  from  the  com- 
mander-in-chief for  the  execution  The  appropriate  prayers 
and  psalms  having  been  read  by  the  chaplain,  with  much 
feeling  and  devotion,  the  poor  men  were  asked  if  they  were 
ready ;  they  both  replied  in  the  affirmative,  but  each 
requested  to  have  a  glass  of  wine,  which  was  instantly 
brought.  They  drank  it  off,  bowing  most  respectfully  to 
the  captain  and  officers. 


The  Naval  Officer  107 

The  admiral  did  not  appear,  it  not  being  etiquette  ;  but 
the  prisoners  desired  to  be  kindly  and  gratefully  remembered 
to  him  ;  they  then  begged  to  shake  hands  with  the  captain 
and  all  the  officers,  which  having  done,  they  asked  permis- 
sion to  address  the  ship's  company.  The  captain  ordered 
them  all  to  come  aft  on  the  top  and  quarter-deck.  The 
most  profound  silence  reigned,  and  there  was  not  an  eye 
but  had  a  tear  in  it. 

William  Strange,  the  man  who  had  sent  for  me,  then 
said,  in  a  clear  and  audible  tone  of  voice  : — "Brother  sailors, 
attend  to  the  last  words  of  a  dying  man.  We  are  brought 
here  at  the  instigation  of  some  of  you  who  are  now  standing 
in  safety  among  the  crowd :  you  have  made  fools  of  us, 
and  we  are  become  the  victims  to  the  just  vengeance  of 
the  laws.  Had  you  succeeded  in  the  infamous  design 
you  contemplated,  what  would  have  been  the  conse- 
quences ?  Ruin,  eternal  ruin,  to  yourselves  and  to  your 
families ;  a  disgrace  to  your  country,  and  the  scorn  of 
those  foreigners  to  whom  you  proposed  delivering  up  the 
ship.  Thank  God  you  did  not  succeed.  Let  our  fate 
be  a  warning  to  you,  and  endeavour  to  show  by  your 
future  acts  your  deep  contrition  for  the  past.  Now,  sir," 
turning  to  the  captain,  "  we  are  ready." 

This  beautiful  speech  from  the  mouth  of  a  common 
sailor  must  as  much  astonish  the  reader  as  it  then  did 
the  captain  and  officers  of  the  ship.  But  Strange,  as  I 
have  shown,  was  no  common  man ;  he  had  had  the 
advantage  of  education,  and,  like  many  of  the  ringleaders 
at  the  mutiny  of  the  Nore,  was  led  into  the  error  of 
refusing  to  obey,  from  the  conscious  feeling  that  he  was 
born  to  command. 

The  arms  of  the  prisoners  were  then  pinioned,  and  the 
chaplain  led  the  way,  reading  the  funeral  service ;  the 
master-at-arms,  with  two  marine  sentinels,  conducted 
them  along  the  starboard  gangway  to  the  forecastle ; 
here  a  stage  was  erected  on  either  side,  over  the  cathead, 
with  steps  to  ascend  to  it ;  a  tail  block  was  attached  to 
the  boom-iron,  at  the  outer  extremity  of  each  foreyard- 


108  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

arm,  and  through  this  a  rope  was  rove,  one  end  of  which 
came  down  to  the  stage ;  the  other  was  led  along  the 
yard  into  the  catharpings,  and  thence  down  upon  the 
main-deck.  A  gun  was  primed  and  ready  to  fire,  on 
the  fore  part  of  the  ship,  directly  beneath  the  scaffold. 

I  attended  poor  Strange  to  the  very  last  moment ;  he 
begged  me  to  see  that  the  halter,  which  was  a  piece  of 
line,  like  a  clothes'  line,  was  properly  made  fast  round 
his  neck,  for  he  had  known  men  suffer  dreadfully  from 
the  want  of  this  precaution.  A  white  cap  was  placed 
on  the  head  of  each  man,  and  when  both  mounted  the 
platform,  the  cap  was  drawn  over  their  eyes.  They 
shook  hands  with  me,  with  their  messmates,  and  with 
the  chaplain,  assuring  him  that  they  died  happy,  and 
confident  in  the  hopes  of  redemption.  They  then  stood 
still  while  the  yard  ropes  were  fixed  to  the  halter  by  a 
toggle  in  the  running  noose  of  the  latter ;  the  other  end 
of  the  yard-ropes  were  held  by  some  twenty  or  thirty 
men  on  each  side  of  the  main-deck,  where  two  lieutenants 
of  the  ship  attended. 

All  being  ready,  the  captain  waved  a  white  handkerchief, 
the  gun  fired,  and  in  an  instant  the  poor  fellows  were 
seen  swinging  at  either  yard-arm.  They  had  on  blue 
jackets  and  white  trousers,  and  were  remarkably  fine- 
looking  young  men.  They  did  not  appear  to  suffer  any 
pain,  and  at  the  expiration  of  an  hour,  the  bodies  were 
lowered  down,  placed  in  coffins,  and  sent  on  shore  for 
interment. 

On  my  arrival  in  England,  nine  months  after,  I  acquitted 
myself  of  my  promise,  and  paid  to  the  mother  of  William 
Strange  upwards  of  fifty  pounds,  for  pay  and  prize-money. 
I  told  the  poor  woman  that  her  son  had  died  a  Christian, 
and  had  fallen  for  the  good  of  his  country ;  and  having 
said  this,  I  took  a  hasty  leave,  for  fear  she  should  ask 
questions. 

That  the  execution  of  a  man  on  board  of  a  ship  of  war 
does  not  always  produce  a  proper  effect  upon  the  minds 
of  the  younger  boys,  the  following  fact  may  serve  to 
prove. 


The  Naval  Officer  109 

There  were  two  little  fellows  on  board  the  ship ;  one 
was  the  son  of  the  carpenter,  the  other  of  the  boatswain. 
They  were  both  of  them  surprised  and  interested  at  the 
sight,  but  not  proportionably  shocked.  The  next  day  I 
was  down  in  one  of  the  wings,  reading  by  the  light  of  a 
purser's  dip — vulgo,  a  farthing  candle,  when  these  two  boys 
came  sliding  down  the  main  hatchway  by  one  of  the 
cables.  Whether  they  saw  me,  and  thought  I  would 
not  'peach,  or  whether  they  supposed  I  was  asleep,  I 
cannot  tell ;  but  they  took  their  seats  on  the  cables,  in 
the  heart  of  the  tier,  and  for  some  time  appeared  to  be  in 
earnest  conversation.  They  had  some  articles  folded  up 
in  a  dirty  check  shirt  and  pocket-handkerchief;  they 
looked  up  at  the  battens,  to  which  the  hammocks  are 
suspended,  and  producing  a  long  rope-yarn,  tried  to  pass 
it  over  one  of  them ;  but  unable  to  reach,  one  boy  climbed 
on  the  back  of  the  other,  and  effected  two  purposes,  by 
reeving  one  end  of  the  line,  and  bringing  it  down  to  the 
cables  again.  They  next  unrolled  the  shirt,  and,  to  my 
surprise,  took  out  the  boatswain's  kitten,  about  three 
months  old  j  its  fore  paws  were  tied  behind  its  back,  its 
hind  feet  were  tied  together,  and  a  fishing-lead  attached 
to  them ;  a  piece  of  white  rag  was  tied  over  its  head  as 
a  cap. 

It  was  now  pretty  evident  what  the  fate  of  poor  puss 
was  likely  to  be,  and  why  the  lead  was  made  fast  to  her 
feet.  The  rope-yarn  was  tied  round  her  neck ;  they  each 
shook  one  of  her  paws,  and  pretended  to  cry.  One  of 
the  urchins  held  in  his  hand  a  fife,  into  which  he  poured 
as  much  flour  as  it  would  hold  out  of  the  handkerchief, 
the  other  held  the  end  of  the  rope-yarn :  every  ceremony 
was  gone  through  that  they  could  think  of. 

"  Are  you  ready  ?  "  said  the  executioner,  or  he  that 
held  the  line. 

"  All  ready,"  replied  the  boy  with  the  fife. 

"  Fire  the  gun  !  "  said  the  hangman. 

The  boy  applied  one  end  of  the  fife  to  his  mouth,  blew 
out  all  the  flour,  and  in  this  humble  imitation  of  the  smoke 


no  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

of  a  gun,  poor  puss  was  run  up  to  the  batten,  where  she 
hung  till  she  was  dead.  I  am  ashamed  to  say  I  did  not 
attempt  to  save  the  kitten's  life,  although  I  caused  her  foul 
murder  to  be  revenged  by  the  cat. 

After  the  body  had  hung  a  certain  time,  they  took  it 
down  and  buried  it  in  the  shot-locker ;  this  was  an  indict- 
able offence,  as  the  smell  would  have  proved,  so  I  lodged 
the  information  ;  the  body  was  found,  and  as  the  facts 
were  clear,  the  law  took  its  course,  to  the  great  amuse- 
ment of  the  bystanders,  who  saw  the  brats  tied  upon  a 
gun,  and  well  flogged. 

The  boatswain  ate  the  kitten,  first,  he  said,  because  he 
had  " larned"  to  eat  cats  in  Spain;  secondly,  because  she 
had  not  died  a  natural  death  (I  thought  otherwise);  and 
his  last  reason  was  more  singular  than  either  of  the  others  : 
he  had  seen  a  picture  in  a  church  in  Spain,  of  Peter's 
vision  of  the  animals  let  down  in  the  sheet,  and  there  was 
a  cat  among  them.  Observing  an  alarm  of  scepticism  in 
my  eye,  he  thought  proper  to  confirm  his  assertion  with 
an  oath. 

"  Might  it  not  have  been  a  rabbit  ? "  said  I. 

"  Rabbit,  sir  ;  d — n  me,  think  I  didn't  know  a  cat  from 
a  rabbit  ?  Why  one  has  got  short  ears  and  long  tail, 
and  t'other  has  got  ivicee  wersee,  as  we  calls  it." 

A  grand  carnival  masquerade  was  to  be  given  at  Minorca 
in  honour  of  the  English,  and  the  place  chosen  for  the 
exhibition  was  a  church;  all  which  was  perfectly  con- 
sistent with  the  Romish  faith.  I  went  in  the  character  of 
a  fool,  and  met  many  brother  officers  there.  It  was  a 
comical  sight  to  see  the  anomalous  groups  stared  at  by  the 
pictures  of  the  Virgin  Mary  and  all  the  saints,  whose 
shrines  were  lit  up  for  the  occasion  with  wax  tapers.  The 
admiral,  rear-admiral,  and  most  of  the  captains  and  officers 
of  the  fleet  were  present ;  the  place  was  about  a  mile  from 
the  town. 

Having  hired  a  fool's  dress,  I  mounted  that  very  appro- 
priate animal — a  donkey,  and  set  off  amidst  the  shouts  of 
a  thousand  dirty  vagabonds.     On  my  arrival,  I  began  to 


The  Naval  Officer  in 

show  off  in  somersaults,  leaps,  and  all  kinds  of  practical 
jokes.  The  manner  in  which  I  supported  the  character 
drew  a  little  crowd  around  me.  I  never  spoke  to  an 
admiral  or  captain  unless  he  addressed  me  first ;  and  then  I 
generally  sold  him  a  bargain.  Being  very  well  acquainted 
with  the  domestic  economy  of  the  ships  on  the  station,  a 
martinet  asked  me  if  I  would  enter  for  his  ship.  "  No," 
said  I,  "  you  would  give  me  three  dozen  for  not  lashing  up 
my  hammock  properly."  "  Come  with  me,"  said  another. 
"  No,"  said  I ;  "  your  bell-rope  is  too  short — you  cannot 
reach  it  to  order  another  bottle  of  wine  before  all  the 
officers  have  left  your  table."  Another  promised  me  kind 
treatment  and  plenty  of  wine.  "  No,"  said  I,  "  in  your 
ship  I  should  be  coals  at  Newcastle ;  besides,  your  coffee 
is  too  weak,  your  steward  only  puts  one  ounce  into  six 
cups." 

These  hits  afforded  a  good  deal  of  mirth  among  the 
crowd,  and  even  the  admiral  himself  honoured  me  with  a 
smile.  I  bowed  respectfully  to  his  lordship,  who  merely 
said — «  What  do  you  want  of  me,  fool  ?  "  "  Oh,  nothing 
at  all,  my  lord,"  said  I,  "  I  have  only  a  small  favour  to 
ask  of  you."  "  What  is  that  ? "  said  the  admiral.  "  Only 
to  make  me  a  captain,  my  lord."  "  Oh,  no,"  said  the 
admiral,  "  we  never  make  fools  captains."  "  No !  "  said  I, 
clapping  my  arms  akimbo  in  a  very  impertinent  manner, 
"  then  that,  I  suppose,  is  a  new  regulation.  How  long 
has  the  order  in  council  been  out  ? " 

The  good-humoured  old  chief  laughed  heartily  at  this 
piece  of  impertinence  ;  but  the  captain  whose  ship  I  had  so 
recently  quitted  was  silly  enough  to  be  offended  :  he  found 
me  out,  and  went  and  complained  of  me  to  my  captain  the 
next  day,  but  my  captain  only  laughed  at  him,  said  he 
thought  it  an  excellent  joke,  and  invited  me  to  dinner. 

Our  ship  was  ordered  to  Gibraltar,  where  we  arrived 
soon  after;  and  a  packet  coming  in  from  England,  I 
received  letters  from  my  father,  announcing  the  death  of 
my  dearest  mother.  O  how  I  then  regretted  all  the 
sorrows  I  had  ever  caused  her  5  how  incessantly  did  busy 


H2  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

memory  haunt  me  with  all  my  misdeeds,  and  recall  to 
mind  the  last  moment  I  had  seen  her !  I  never  supposed 
I  could  have  regretted  her  half  so  much.  My  father 
stated  that  in  her  last  moments  she  had  expressed  the 
greatest  solicitude  for  my  welfare.  She  feared  the  career 
of  life  on  which  I  had  entered  would  not  conduce  to  my 
eternal  welfare,  however  much  it  might  promise  to  my 
temporal  advantage.  Her  dying  injunctions  to  me  were 
never  to  forget  the  moral  and  religious  principles  in  which 
she  had  brought  me  up  ;  and,  with  her  last  blessing,  im- 
plored me  to  read  my  Bible,  and  take  it  as  my  guide 
through  life. 

My  father's  letter  was  both  an  affecting  and  forcible 
appeal ;  and  never,  in  the  whole  course  of  my  subsequent 
life,  were  my  feelings  so  worked  upon  as  they  were  on 
that  occasion.  I  went  to  my  hammock  with  an  aching 
head  and  an  almost  broken  heart.  A  retrospection  cf  my 
life  afforded  me  no  comfort.  The  numerous  acts  of  de- 
pravity or  pride,  of  revenge  or  deceit,  of  which  I  had 
been  guilty,  rushed  through  my  mind,  as  the  tempest 
through  the  rigging,  and  called  me  to  the  most  serious 
and  melancholy  reflections.  It  was  some  time  before  I 
could  collect  my  thoughts  and  analyse  my  feelings ;  but 
when  I  recalled  all  my  misdeeds — my  departure  from  that 
path  of  virtue,  so  often  and  so  clearly  laid  down  by  my 
affectionate  parent — I  was  overwhelmed  with  grief,  shame, 
and  repentance.  I  considered  how  often  I  had  been  on 
the  brink  of  eternity ;  and  had  I  been  cut  off  in  my  sins, 
what  would  have  been  my  destiny  ?  I  started  with  horror 
at  the  dangers  I  had  escaped,  and  looked  forward  with 
gloomy  apprehension  at  those  that  still  awaited  me.  I 
sought  in  vain,  among  all  my  actions  since  I  left  my 
mother's  care,  one  single  deed  of  virtue — one  that  sprang 
from  a  good  motive.  There  was,  it  is  true,  an  outward 
gloss  and  polish  for  the  world  to  look  at ;  but  all  was 
dark  within  :  and  I  felt  that  a  keener  eye  than  that  of 
mortality  was  searching  my  soul,  where  deception  was 
worse  than  useless. 


The  Naval  Officer  113 

At  twelve  o'clock,  before  I  had  once  closed  my  eyes, 
I  was  called  to  relieve  the  deck,  having  what  is  called 
the  middle  watch,  i.e.  from  midnight  till  four  in  the 
morning.  We  had,  the  day  before,  buried  a  quarter- 
master, nick-named  Quid,  an  old  seaman  who  had  de- 
stroyed himself  by  drinking — no  very  uncommon  case  in 
His  Majesty's  service.  The  corpse  of  a  man  who  has 
destroyed  his  inside  by  intemperance  is  generally  in  a  state 
of  putridity  immediately  after  death ;  and  the  decay, 
particularly  in  warm  climates,  is  very  rapid.  A  few  hours 
after  Quid's  death,  the  body  emitted  certain  effluvia  de- 
noting the  necessity  of  immediate  interment.  It  was 
accordingly  sewn  up  in  a  hammock  *,  and  as  the  ship  lay 
in  deep  water,  with  a  current  sweeping  round  the  bay, 
and  the  boats  being  at  the  same  time  all  employed  at  the 
dockyard,  the  first  lieutenant  caused  shot  to  be  tied  to 
the  feet,  and,  having  read  the  funeral  service,  launched 
the  body  overboard  from  the  gangway,  as  the  ship  lay 
at  anchor. 

I  was  walking  the  deck,  in  no  very  happy  state  of  mind, 
reflecting  seriously  on  parts  of  that  Bible  which  for  more 
than  two  years  I  had  never  looked  into,  when  my  thoughts 
were  called  to  the  summons  which  poor  Quid  had  received, 
and  the  beauty  of  the  funeral  service  which  I  had  heard 
read  over  him — "  I  am  the  resurrection  and  the  life." 
The  moon,  which  had  been  obscured,  suddenly  burst  from 
a  cloud,  and  a  cry  of  horror  proceeded  from  the  look-out 
man  on  the  starboard  gangway.  I  ran  to  inquire  the 
cause,  and  found  him  in  such  a  state  of  nervous  agitation 
that  he  could  only  say, — "  Quid — Quid  !  "  and  point  with 
his  finger  into  the  water. 

I  looked  over  the  side,  and,  to  my  amazement  there  was 
the  body  of  Quid, 

"  All  in  dreary  hammock  shrouded," 

perfectly  upright,  and  floating  with  the  head  and  shoulders 
above  water.  A  slight  undulation  of  the  waves  gave  it 
the  appearance  of  nodding  its  head  ;  while  the  rays  of 

M  H 


1 1 4  Frank  Mildmay ;  or, 

the  moon  enabled  us  to  trace  the  remainder  of  the  body 
underneath  the  surface.  For  a  few .  moments,  I  felt  a 
horror  which  I  cannot  describe,  and  contemplated  the 
object  in  awful  silence ;  while  my  blood  ran  cold,  and  I 
felt  a  sensation  as  if  my  hair  was  standing  on  end.  I 
was  completely  taken  by  surprise,  and  thought  the  body 
had  risen  up  to  warn  me  ;  but  in  a  few  seconds  I  regained 
my  presence  of  mind,  and  I  soon  perceived  the  origin  of 
this  reappearance  of  the  corpse.  I  ordered  the  cutter 
to  be  manned,  and,  in  the  meantime,  went  down  to  inform 
the  first  lieutenant  of  what  had  occurred.  He  laughed, 
and  said,  "I  suppose  the  old  boy  finds  salt  water  not 
quite  so  palatable  as  grog.  Tie  some  more  shot  to  his 
feet,  and  bring  the  old  fellow  to  his  moorings  again.  Tell 
him,  the  next  time  he  trips  his  anchor,  not  to  run  on  board 
of  us.  He  had  his  regular  allowance  of  prayer  :  I  gave 
him  the  whole  service,  and  I  shall  not  give  him  any  more." 
So  saying,  he  went  to  sleep  again. 

This  apparently  singular  circumstance  is  easily  accounted 
for.  Bodies  decomposing  from  putridity,  generate  a 
quantity  of  gas,  which  swells  them  up  to  an  enormous 
size,  and  renders  them  buoyant.  The  body  of  this  man 
was  thrown  overboard  just  as  decomposition  was  in  pro- 
gress :  the  shot  made  fast  to  the  feet  were  sufficient  to 
sink  it  at  the  time  ;  but  in  a  few  hours  after  were  not 
competent  to  keep  it  at  the  bottom,  and  it  came  up  to 
the  surface  in  that  perpendicular  position  which  I  have 
described.  The  current  in  the  bay  being  at  the  time 
either  slack  or  irregular,  it  floated  at  the  spot  whence  it 
had  been  launched  into  the  water. 

The  cutter,  being  manned,  was  sent  with  more  shot  to 
attach  to  the  body,  and  sink  it.  When  they  attempted  to 
hold  it  with  the  boat-hook,  it  eluded  the  touch,  turning 
round  and  round,  or  bobbing  under  the  water,  and  coming 
up  again,  as  if  in  sport :  but  accident  saved  them  any 
further  trouble  ;  for  the  bowman,  reproached  by  the 
boat's  crew  for  not  hooking  the  body,  got  angry,  and 
darting  the   spike    of  the    boat-hook   into   the  abdomen, 


The  Naval  Officer  115 

the  pent-up  gas  escaped  with  a  loud  whiz,  and  the  corpse 
instantly  sank  like  a  stone.  Many  jokes  were  passed  on 
the  occasion ;  but  I  was  not  in  humour  for  joking  on 
serious  subjects  :  and  before  the  watch  was  out  I  had 
made  up  my  mind  to  go  home,  and  to  quit  the  service, 
as  I  found  I  had  no  chance  of  obeying  my  mother's  dying 
injunctions  if  I  remained  where  I  was. 

The  next  morning  I  stated  my  wishes  to  the  captain, 
not  of  quitting  the  service,  but  of  going  home  in  con- 
sequence of  family  arrangements.  This  was  about  as 
necessary  as  that  I  should  make  a  pilgrimage  to  Jerusalem. 
The  captain  had  been  told  of  the  unpleasant  news  I  had 
received,  and  having  listened  to  all  I  had  to  say,  he 
replied,  that  if  I  could  make  up  my  mind  to  remain  with 
him  it  would  be  better  for  me. 

"You  are  now,"  said  he,  "accustomed  to  my  ways — 
you  know  your  duty,  and  do  your  work  well ;  indeed, 
I  have  made  honourable  mention  of  you  to  the  Admiralty 
in  my  public  letter  :  you  know  your  own  business  best " 
(here  he  was  mistaken — he  ought  not  to  have  parted  with 
me  for  the  reasons  which  I  offered)  ;  "  but  my  advice  to 
you  is  to  stay." 

I  thanked  him — but  being  bent  and  determined  on 
going  home,  he  acceded  to  my  request ;  gave  me  my 
discharge,  and  added  a  very  handsome  certificate  of  good 
conduct,  far  beyond  the  usually  prescribed  form ;  he 
also  told  me  that  if  I  chose  to  return  to  him  he  would 
keep  a  vacancy  for  me.  I  parted  with  the  officers,  my 
messmates,  and  the  ship's  company  with  regret.  I  had 
been  more  than  three  years  with  them ;  and  my  stormy 
commencement  had  settled  down  into  a  quiet  and  peaceful 
acknowledgment  of  my  supremacy  in  the  berth  ;  my 
qualities  were  such  as  to  make  me  a  universal  favourite, 
and  I  was  followed  down  the  ship's  side  with  the  hearty 
good  wishes  of  all.  I  was  pulled  in  the  cutter  on  board 
of  a  ship  of  the  line,  in  which  I  was  ordered  to  take  my 
passage  to  England. 


n6  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 


Chapter  IX 

How  happy  could  I  be  with  either, 
Were  t'other  dear  charmer  away ! 


Beggar's  Opera.'' 


Hell,  they  say,  is  paved  with  good  intentions.  If  so, 
it  has  a  much  better  pavement  than  it  deserves  ;  for  the 
"  trail  of  the  serpent  is  over  us  all."  Then  why  send  to 
hell  the  greatest  proof  of  our  perfection  before  the  fall, 
and  of  weakness  subsequent  to  it  ?  Honest  and  sincere 
professions  of  amendment  must  carry  with  them  to  the 
Throne  of  Grace  a  strong  recommendation,  even  if  we 
are  again  led  astray  by  the  allurements  of  sense  and  the 
snares  of  the  world.  At  least,  our  tears  of  contrition 
and  repentance,  our  sorrow  for  the  past,  and  our  firm 
resolves  for  the  future,  must  have  given  "joy  in  heaven," 
and  consequently  cannot  have  been  converted  into  pave- 
ment for  the  infernal  regions. 

Pleasure  and  pain,  in  youth,  are,  for  the  most  part, 
transient  impressions,  whether  they  arise  from  possession 
or  loss  of  worldly  enjoyment,  or  from  a  sense  of  having 
done  well  or  ill  in  our  career.  The  excitement,  though 
strong,  is  not  durable  ;  and  thus  it  was  with  me.  I  had 
not  been  more  than  four  days  on  board  the  ship  of  the 
line  in  which  I  took  my  passage  to  England,  when  I  felt 
my  spirits  buoyant,  and  my  levity  almost  amounting  to 
delirium.  The  hours  of  reflection  were  at  first  shortened, 
and  then  dismissed  entirely.  The  general  mirth  of  my 
new  shipmates  at  the  thoughts  of  once  more  revisiting 
their  dear  native  land — the  anticipation  of  indulging  in 
the  sensual  worship  of  Bacchus  and  Venus,  the  constant 
theme  of  discourse  among  the  midshipmen ;  the  loud  and 
senseless  applause  bestowed  on  the  coarsest  ribaldry — 
these  all  had  their  share  in  destroying  that  religious  frame 
of  mind  in  which  I  had  parted  with  my  first  captain,  and 
seemed  to  awaken  me  to  a  sense  of  the  folly  I  had  been 


The  Naval  Officer  117 

guilty  of  in  quitting  a  ship,  where  I  was  not  only  at  the 
head  of  my  mess,  but  in  a  fair  way  for  promotion.  I  con- 
sidered that  I  had  acted  the  part  of  a  madman,  and  had 
again  begun  to  renew  my  career  of  sin  and  of  folly,  a 
little,  and  but  a  little,  sobered  by  the  recent  event. 

We  arrived  in  England  after  the  usual  passage  from  the 
Rock.  I  consented  to  pass  two  days  at  Portsmouth,  with 
my  new  companions,  to  revisit  our  old  haunts,  and  to 
commit  those  excesses  which  fools  and  knaves  applauded 
and  partook  of,  at  my  expense,  leaving  me  full  leisure  to 
repent,  after  we  separated.  I,  however,  did  muster  resolu- 
tion enough  to  pack  my  trunk;  and,  after  an  extravagant 
supper  at  the  Fountain,  retired  to  bed  intoxicated,  and 
the  next  morning,  with  an  aching  head,  threw  myself 
into  the  coach  and  drove  off  for  London.  A  day  of  much 
hilarity  is  generally  succeeded  by  one  of  depression.  This 
is  fair  and  natural;  we  draw  too  largely  on  our  stock, 
and  squander  our  enjoyment  like  our  money,  leaving  us 
the  next  day  with  low  spirits  and  a  lower  purse. 

A  stupid  dejection  succeeded  the  boisterous  mirth  of 
the  overnight.  I  slumbered  in  a  corner  of  the  coach  till 
about  one  o'clock,  when  we  reached  Godalming,  where 
I  alighted,  took  a  slight  refreshment,  and  resumed  my 
seat.  As  we  drove  along,  I  had  more  leisure,  and  was 
in  a  fitter  frame  of  mind  to  review  my  past  conduct  since 
I  had  quitted  my  ship  at  Gibraltar.  My  self-examination, 
as  usual,  produced  no  satisfactory  results.  I  perceived 
that  the  example  of  bad  company  had  swept  away  every 
trace  of  good  resolution  which  I  had  made  on  the  death 
of  my  mother.  I  saw,  with  grief,  that  I  had  no  depend- 
ence on  myself;  I  had  forgotten  all  my  good  intentions, 
and  the  firm  vows  of  amendment  with  which  I  had  bound 
myself,  and  had  yielded  to  the  first  temptation  which  came 
in  my  way. 

In  vain  did  I  call  up  every  black  and  threatening  cloud 
of  domestic  sorrow,  which  was  to  meet  me  on  my  return 
home — the  dreadful  vacuum  occasioned  by  my  mother's 
death — the  grief  of  my  father — my  brother  and  my  sisters 


n8  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

in  deep  mourning,  and  the  couch  on  which  I  had  left  the 
best  of  parents,  when  I  turned  away  my  thoughtless  head 
from  her  in  the  anguish  of  her  grief.  I  renewed  my 
promise  of  amendment,  and  felt  some  secret  consolation 
in  doing  so. 

When  I  arrived  at  my  father's  door,  the  servant  who 
let  me  in,  greeted  me  with  a  loud  and  hearty  welcome. 
I  ran  into  the  drawing-room,  where  I  found  that  my 
brother  and  sisters  had  a  party  of  children  to  spend  the 
evening  with  them.  They  were  dancing  to  the  music  of 
a  piano,  played  on  by  my  aunt,  while  my  father  sat  in  his 
arm-chair,  in  high  good-humour. 

This  was  a  very  different  scene  from  what  I  had 
expected.  I  was  prepared  for  a  sentimental  and  affecting 
meeting ;  and  my  feelings  were  all  worked  up  to  their 
full  bearing  for  the  occasion.  Judge,  then,  of  the  sudden 
revulsion  in  my  mind,  when  I  found  mirth  and  good- 
humour  where  I  expected  tears  and  lamentations.  It  had 
escaped  my  recollection,  that  although  the  death  of  my 
mother  was  an  event  new  to  me,  it  had  happened  six 
months  before  I  had  heard  of  it  ;  and,  consequently,  with 
them  grief  had  given  way  to  time.  I  was  astonished  at 
their  apparent  want  of  feeling  ;  while  they  gazed  with 
surprise  at  the  sight  of  me,  and  the  symbols  of  woe 
displayed  in  my  equipment. 

My  father  welcomed  me  with  surprise;  asked  where 
my  ship  was,  and  what  had  brought  her  home.  The  fact 
was,  that  in  my  sudden  determination  to  return  to  England, 
I  had  spared  myself  the  trouble  of  writing  to  make  known 
my  intentions ;  and,  indeed,  if  I  had  written,  I  should 
have  arrived  as  soon  as  my  letter,  unless  (which  I  ought 
to  have  done)  I  had  written  on  my  arrival  at  Portsmouth, 
instead  of  throwing  away  my  time  in  the  very  worst 
species  of  dissipation.  Unable,  therefore,  in  the  presence 
of  many  witnesses,  to  give  my  father  that  explanation 
which  he  had  a  right  to  expect,  I  suffered  greatly  for  a 
time  in  his  opinion.  He  very  naturally  supposed  that 
some  disgraceful  conduct  on  my  part  was  the  cause  of  my 


The  Naval  Officer  ng 

sudden  return.  His  brow  became  clouded  and  his  mind 
seemed  occupied  with  deep  reflection. 

This  behaviour  of  my  father,  together  with  the  con- 
tinued noisy  mirth  of  my  brother  and  sisters,  gave  me 
considerable  pain.  I  felt  as  if,  in  the  sad  news  of  my 
mother's  death,  I  had  over-acted  my  part  in  the  feeling 
I  had  shown,  and  the  sacrifice  I  had  made  in  quitting  my 
ship.  On  explaining  to  my  father,  in  private,  the  motives 
of  my  conduct,  I  was  not  successful.  He  could  not  believe 
that  my  mother's  death  was  the  sole  cause  of  my  return 
to  England.  I  stood  many  firm  and  angry  interrogations 
as  to  the  possible  good  which  could  accrue  to  me  by 
quitting  my  ship.  I  showed  him  the  captain's  handsome 
certificate,  which  only  mortified  him  the  more.  In  vain  did 
I  plead  my  excess  of  feeling.  He  replied  with  an  argu- 
ment that  I  feel  to  have  been  unanswerable — that  I  had 
quitted  my  ship  when  on  the  very  pinnacle  of  favour,  and 
in  the  road  to  fortune.  "  And  what,"  said  he,  "is  to 
become  of  the  navy  and  the  country,  if  every  officer  is  to 
return  home  when  he  receives  the  news  of  the  death  of 
a  relation  ? " 

In  proportion  as  my  father's  arguments  carried  conviction, 
they  did  away,  at  the  same  time,  all  the  good  impressions 
of  my  mother's  dying  injunction.  If  her  death  was  a 
matter  of  so  little  importance,  her  last  words  were  equally 
so  ;  and  from  that  moment  I  ceased  to  think  of  either.  My 
father's  treatment  of  me  was  now  very  different  from 
what  it  had  ever  been  during  my  mother's  lifetime.  My 
requests  were  harshly  refused,  and  I  was  lectured  more  as 
a  child  than  as  a  lad  of  eighteen,  who  had  seen  much  of  the 
world. 

Coldness  on  his  part  was  met  by  a  spirit  of  resistance 
on  mine.  Pride  came  in  to  my  assistance.  A  dispute 
arose  one  evening,  at  the  finale  of  which  I  gave  him  to 
understand  that  if  I  could  not  live  quietly  under  his  roof, 
I  would  quit  it.  He  calmly  recommended  me  to  do  so, 
little  supposing  that  I  should  have  taken  his  advice.  I  left 
the  room,  banging  the  door  after  me,  packed  up  a  few 


120  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

changes  of  linen,  and  took  my  departure,  unperceived  by 
any  one,  with  my  bundle  on  my  shoulder,  and  about  six- 
teen shillings  in  my  pocket. 

Here  was  a  great  mismanagement  on  the  part  of  my 
father,  and  still  greater  on  mine.  He  was  anxious  to  get 
me  afloat  again,  and  I  had  no  sort  of  objection  to  going ; 
but  his  impatience  and  my  pride  spoiled  all.  Reflection 
soon  came  to  me,  but  came  too  late.  Night  was  fast 
approaching :  I  had  no  house  over  my  head,  and  my 
exchequer  was  in  no  very  flourishing  condition. 

I  had  walked  six  miles  from  my  father's  house,  when  I 
began  to  tire.  It  became  dark,  and  I  had  no  fixed  plan. 
A  gentleman's  carriage  came  by  ;  I  took  up  a  position  in 
the  rear  of  it,  and  had  ridden  four  miles,  when,  as  the 
carriage  was  slowly  dragging  up  a  hill,  I  was  discovered 
by  the  parties  inside  •,  and  the  postilion,  who  had  dis- 
mounted and  been  informed  of  it,  saluted  me  with  two  or 
three  smart  cuts  of  his  whip,  intimating  that  I  was  of  no 
use,  but  rather  an  incumbrance  which  could  be  dispensed 
with. 

My  readers  know  that  I  had  long  since  adopted  the 
motto  of  our  northern  neighbours,  Nemo  me>  &c.  ;  so 
waiting  very  quietly  till  the  driver  had  mounted  his  horses, 
at  the  top  of  the  hill,  that  he  might  be  more  at  my  mercy, 
I  discharged  a  stone  at  his  head  which  caused  him  to 
vacate  his  seat,  and  fall  under  his  horse's  belly.  The 
animals,  frightened  at  his  fall,  turned  short  round  to  the 
right,  or  they  would  have  gone  over  him,  and  ran  furiously 
down  the  hill.  The  post-boy,  recovering  his  legs, 
followed  his  horses  without  bestowing  a  thought  on  the 
author  of  the  mischief;  and  I  made  all  the  haste  I  could  in 
the  opposite  direction,  perfectly  indifferent  as  to  the  fate 
of  the  parties  inside  of  the  carriage,  for  I  still  smarted  with 
the  blows  I  had  received. 

"  Fools  and  unkind,"  muttered  I,  looking  back,  as  they 
disappeared  at  the  bottom  of  the  hill,  with  frightful 
velocity,  "  you  are  rightly  served.  I  was  a  trespasser,  'tis 
true,  but  a  civil  request  would  have  had  all  the  effect  you 


The  Naval  Officer  121 

required — that  of  inducing  me  to  get  down  ;  but  a  whip 
to  me — "  And  with  my  blood  still  boiling  at  the  recol- 
lection, I  hastily  pursued  my  journey. 

In  a  few  minutes  I  reached  the  little  town  of  ,  the 

lights  of  which  were  visible  at  the  time  the  horses  had 
turned  down  the  hill  and  run  away.  Entering  the  first  inn 
I  came  to,  I  found  the  large  room  below  occupied  by  a  set 
of  strolling  players,  who  had  just  returned  from  a  success- 
ful performance  of  "  Romeo  and  Juliet ;  "  and,  from  the 
excitement  among  them,  it  was  easy  to  perceive  that  their 
success  had  been  fully  equal  to  their  expectations.  They 
were  fourteen  in  number,  seated  round  a  table,  not 
indifferently  covered  with  the  good  things  of  this  life  ;  they 
were  clad  in  theatrical  costume,  which,  with  the  rapid 
circulation  of  the  bottle,  gave  the  whole  scene  an  air  of 
romantic  freedom,  calculated  to  interest  the  mind  of  a 
thoughtless  half-pay  midshipman. 

Being  hungry  after  my  walk,  I  determined  to  join  the 
party  at  supper,  which,  being  a  table  d'hote  was  easily 
effected.  One  of  the  actresses,  a  sweet  little,  well-propor- 
tioned creature,  with  large  black  eyes,  was  receiving,  with 
apparent  indifference,  the  compliments  of  the  better  sort  of 
bumpkins  and  young  farmers  of  the  neighbourhood.  In 
her  momentary  and  occasional  smiles,  she  discovered  a 
beautiful  set  of  small,  white  teeth  ;  but  when  she  resumed 
her  pensive  attitude,  I  was  sensible  of  an  enchanting  air  of 
melancholy,  which  deeply  interested  me  in  favour  of  this 
poor  girl,  who  was  evidently  in  a  lower  situation  in  life 
than  that  for  which  she  had  been  educated.  The  person 
who  sat  nearest  to  her  vacated  his  seat  as  soon  as  he 
found  his  attentions  were  thrown  away.  I  instantly  took 
possession  of  the  place,  and,  observing  the  greatest  respect, 
entered  at  once  into  conversation  with  her. 

Whether  she  was  pleased  with  my  address  and  language, 
as  being  superior  to  what  she  was  usually  compelled  to 
listen  to,  or  whether  she  was  flattered  by  my  assiduous  atten- 
tion, I  know  not ;  but  she  gradually  unbent,  and  became 
more  animated  ;  showing  great  natural  talent  and  a  highly- 


122  Frank  Mildmay;  of, 

cultivated    mind ;    so   that   I   was    every   moment    more 
astonished  to  find  her  in  such  a  situation. 

Our  conversation  had  lasted  a  considerable  time  ;  and  I 
had  just  made  a  remark  to  which  she  had  not  replied, 
apparently  struggling  with  concealed  emotion,  when  we 
were  interrupted  by  a  carriage  driving  up  to  the  door,  and 
cries  of  "  Help  !  help  !  "  I  instantly  quitted  the  side  of 
my  new  acquaintance,  and  flew  to  answer  the  signal  of 
distress. 

A  gentleman  in  the  carriage  was  supporting  a  young 
lady  in  his  arms,  to  all  appearance  lifeless.  With  my 
assistance,  she  was  speedily  removed  into  the  house,  and 
conveyed  to  a  bedroom.  A  surgeon  was  sent  for,  but 
none  was  to  be  had  -,  the  only  practitioner  of  the  town  being 
at  that  moment  gone  to  attend  one  of  those  cases  which, 
according  to  Mr  Malthus,  are  much  too  frequent  for  the 
good  of  the  country.  I  discovered  that  the  carriage  had 
been  overturned,  and  that  the  young  lady  had  been  in- 
sensible ever  since. 

There  was  no  time  to  be  lost ;  I  knew  that  immediate 
bleeding  was  absolutely  necessary.  I  had  acquired  thus 
much  of  surgical  knowledge  in  the  course  of  my  pro- 
fessional duties.  I  stated  my  opinion  to  the  gentleman; 
and  although  my  practice  had  been  very  slight,  offered  my 
services  to  perform  the  operation.  This  offer  was  accepted 
with  thanks  by  the  grateful  father,  for  such  I  found  he 
was.  "With  my  sharp  penknife  I  opened  a  vein  in  one  of 
the  whitest  arms  I  ever  beheld.  After  a  few  moments' 
chafing,  the  blood  flowed  more  freely ;  the  pulse  indicated 
returning  animation ;  a  pair  of  large  blue  eyes  opened 
suddenly  upon  me  like  a  masked  battery  ;  and  so  alarm- 
ingly susceptible  was  I  of  the  tender  passion,  that  I  quite 
forgot  the  little  actress  whom  I  had  left  at  the  supper- 
table,  and  who,  a  few  minutes  before,  had  occupied  my 
whole  thoughts  and  attention. 

Having  succeeded  in  restoring  the  fair  patient  to  con- 
sciousness, I  prescribed  a  warm  bed,  some  tea,  and  careful 
watching.     My  orders   were  punctually   obeyed ;  I   then 


The  Naval  Officer  123 

quitted  the  apartment  of  my  patient,  and  began  to  ruminate 
over  the  hurried  and  singular  events  of  the  day. 

I  had  scarcely  had  time  to  decide  in  my  own  mind  on 
the  respective  merits  of  my  two  rival  beauties  when  the 
surgeon  arrived ;  and,  being  ushered  into  the  sick-room, 
declared  that  the  patient  had  been  treated  with  skill,  and 
that  in  all  probability  she  owed  her  life  to  my  presence  of 
mind.  "  But,  give  me  leave  to  ask,"  said  the  doctor, 
addressing  the  father,  "  how  the  accident  happened  ? " 
The  gentleman  replied  that  a  scoundrel  having  got  up 
behind  the  carriage,  had  been  flogged  off  by 'the  postilion; 
and,  in  revenge,  had  thrown  a  stone,  which  knocked  the 
driver  off  his  horse :  they  took  fright,  turned  round,  and 
ran  away  down  the  hill  towards  their  own  stables  ;  and 
after  running  five  miles,  upset  the  carriage  against  a  post, 
"  by  which  accident,'*  said  he,  "my  poor  daughter  was 
nearly  killed." 

"  What  a  villain  !  "  said  the  doctor. 

"  Villain,  indeed,"  echoed  I ;  and  so  I  felt  I  was.  I 
turned  sick  at  the  thought  of  what  my  ungoverned  passion 
had  done  ;  and  my  regret  was  not  a  little  increased  by  the 
charms  of  my  lovely  victim  ;  but  I  soon  recovered  from  the 
shock,  particularly  when  I  saw  that  no  suspicion  attached 
to  me.  I  therefore  received  the  praises  of  the  father  and 
the  doctor  with  a  becoming  modest  diffidence ;  and,  with 
a  hearty  shake  of  the  hand  from  the  grateful  parent,  was 
wished  a  good  night  and  retired  to  my  bed. 

As  I  stood  before  the  looking-glass,  laying  my  watch 
and  exhausted  purse  on  the  dressing-table,  and  leisurely 
untying  my  cravat,  I  could  not  forbear  a  glance  of  appro- 
bation at  what  I  thought  a  very  handsome  and  a  very 
impudent  face :  I  soliloquised  on  the  events  of  the  day, 
and,  as  usual,  found  the  summing-up  very  much  against 
me.  "  This,  then,  sir,"  said  I,  "  is  your  road  to  repentance 
and  reform.  You  insult  your  father  ;  quit  his  house  ;  get 
up,  like  a  vagabond,  behind  a  gentleman's  carriage  ;  are 
flogged  off,  break  the  ribs  of  an  honest  man,  who  has  a 
wife  and  family  to  support  out  of  his  hard  earnings — are 


124  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

the  occasion  of  a  carriage  being  overturned,  and  very 
nearly  cause  the  death  of  an  amiable  girl !  And  all  this 
mischief  in  the  short  space  of  six  hours,  not  to  say  a  word 
of  your  intentions  towards  the  little  actress,  which  I 
presume  are  none  of  the  most  honourable.  Where  is  all 
this  to  end  ?  " 

"  At  the  gallows,"  said  I,  in  reply  to  myself, — "  the 
more  probably,  too,  as  my  finances  have  no  means  of 
improvement,  except  by  a  miracle  or  highway  robbery. 
I  am  in  love  with  two  girls,  and  have  only  two  clean 
shirts  ;  consequently  there  is  no  proportion  between  the 
demand  and  the  supply." 

With  this  medley  of  reflections  I  fell  asleep.  I  was 
awoke  early  by  the  swallows  twittering  at  the  windows  ; 
and  the  first  question  which  was  agitated  in  my  brain 
was  what  account  I  should  give  of  myself  to  the  father 
of  the  young  lady,  when  interrogated  by  him,  as  I  most 
certainly  should  be.  I  had  my  choice  between  truth  and 
falsehood  :  the  latter  (such  is  the  force  of  habit),  I  think, 
carried  it  hollow  ;  but  I  determined  to  leave  that  point  to 
the  spur  of  the  moment,  and  act  according  to  circumstances. 

My  meditations  were  interrupted  by  the  chambermaid, 
who,  tapping  at  my  door,  said  she  came  to  tell  me  "  that 
the  gentleman  that  belonged  to  the  young  lady  that  I  was 
so  kind  to,  was  waiting  breakfast  for  me." 

The  thought  of  sitting  at  table  with  the  dear  creature 
whose  brains  I  had  so  nearly  spilled  upon  the  road  the 
night  before  quite  overcame  me ;  and  leaving  the  fabric 
of  my  history  to  chance  or  to  inspiration,  I  darted  from 
my  bedroom  to  the  parlour,  where  the  stranger  awaited 
me.  He  received  me  with  great  cordiality,  again  expressed 
his  obligations,  and  informed  me  that  his  name  was 
Somerville,  of . 

I  had  some  faint  recollection  of  having  heard  the  name 
mentioned  by  my  father,  and  was  endeavouring  to  recall 
to  mind  on  what  occasion,  when  Mr  Somerville  interrupted 
me  by  saying,  that  he  hoped  he  should  have  the  pleasure 
of  knowing  the  name  of  the  young  gentleman  who  had 


The  Naval  Officer  125 

conferred  such  an  obligation  upon  him.  I  answered  that 
my  name  was  Mildmay  ;  for  I  had  no  time  to  tell  a  lie. 

"  I  should  be  happy  to  think,"  said  he,  "  that  you  were 
the  son  of  my  old  friend  and  school-fellow,  Mr  Mildmay, 

of ;  but  that  cannot  well  be,"  said  he,  "  for  he  had 

only  two  sons — one  at  college,  the  other  as  brave  a  sailor 
as  ever  lived,  and  now  in  the  Mediterranean  :  but  perhaps 
you  are  some  relation  of  his  ?  " 

He  had  just  concluded  this  speech,  and  before  I  had 
time  to  reply  to  it,  the  door  opened,  and  Miss  Somerville 
entered.  We  have  all  heard  a  great  deal  about  "  love  at 
first  sight ; "  but  I  contend  that  the  man  who  would  not, 
at  the  very  first  glimpse  of  Emily  Somerville,  have  fallen 
desperately  in  love  with  her,  could  have  had  neither  heart 
nor  soul.  If  I  thought  her  lovely  when  she  lay  in  a  state 
of  insensibility,  what  did  I  think  of  her  when  her  form 
had  assumed  its  wonted  animation,  and  her  cheeks  their 
natural  colour  ?  To  describe  a  perfect  beauty  never  was 
my  forte.  I  can  only  say,  that  Miss  Somerville,  as  far  as  I 
am  a  judge,  united  in  her  person  all  the  component  parts 
of  the  finest  specimen  of  her  sex  in  England  ;  and  these 
were  joined  in  such  harmony  by  the  skilful  hand  of 
Nature,  that  I  was  ready  to  kneel  down  and  adore  her. 

As  she  extended  her  white  hand  to  me,  and  thanked 
me  for  my  kindness,  I  was  so  taken  aback  with  the  sudden 
appearance  and  address  of  this  beautiful  vision,  that  I 
knew  not  what  to  say.  I  stammered  out  something,  but 
have  no  recollection  whether  it  was  French  or  English. 
I  lost  my  presence  of  mind,  and  the  blushes  of  conscious 
guilt  on  my  face  at  that  moment,  might  have  been  mis- 
taken for  those  of  unsophisticated  innocence.  That  these 
external  demonstrations  are  often  confounded,  and  that 
such  was  the  case  on  the  present  occasion,  there  can  be 
no  doubt.  My  embarrassment  was  ascribed  to  that 
modesty  ever  attendant  on  real  worth. 

It  has  been  said  that  true  merit  blushes  at  being  dis- 
covered ;  but  I  have  lived  to  see  merit  that  could  not 
blush,  and  the  want  of  it  that  could,  while  the  latter  has 


126  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

marched  off  with  all  the  honours  due  to  the  former.  The 
blush  that  burned  on  my  cheek,  at  that  moment,  would 
have  gone  far  to  have  condemned  a  criminal  at  the  Old 
Bailey  ;  but  in  the  countenance  of  a  handsome  young  man 
was  received  as  the  unfailing  marks  of  "  a  pure  ingenuous 
soul." 

I  had  been  too  long  at  school  to  be  ashamed  of  wearing 
laurels  I  had  never  won ;  and,  having  often  received  a 
flogging  which  I  did  not  deserve,  I  thought  myself  equally 
well  entitled  to  any  advantages  which  the  chances  of  war 
might  throw  in  my  way  ;  so  having  set  my  tender  con- 
science at  rest,  I  sat  myself  down  between  my  new  mistress 
and  her  father,  and  made  a  most  delightful  breakfast. 
Miss  Somerville,  although  declared  out  of  danger  by  the 
doctor,  was  still  languid,  but  able  to  continue  her  journey ; 
and  as  they  had  not  many  miles  further  to  go,  Mr 
Somerville  proposed  a  delay  of  an  hour  or  two. 

Breakfast  ended,  he  quitted  the  room  to  arrange  for 
their  departure,  and  I  found  myself  tete-a-tete  with  the 
young  lady.  During  this  short  absence,  I  found  out  that 
she  was  an  only  daughter,  and  that  her  mother  was  dead  \ 
she  again  introduced  the  subject  of  my  family  name,  and 
I  found  also  that  before  Mrs  Somerville's  death,  my 
father  had  been  on  terms  of  great  intimacy  with  Emily's 
parents.  I  had  not  replied  to  Mr  Somerville's  question. 
A  similar  one  was  now  asked  by  his  daughter  j  and  so 
closely  was  I  interrogated  by  her  coral  lips  and  searching 
blue  eyes,  that  I  could  not  tell  a  lie.  It  would  have  been 
a  horrid  aggravation  of  guilt,  so  I  honestly  owned  that 
I  was  the  son  of  her  father's  friend,  Mr  Mildmay. 

"  Good  heaven  !  "  said  she,  "  why  had  you  not  told  my 
father  so  ?  " 

"Because  I  must  have  said  a  great  deal  more;  besides," 
added  I,  making  her  my  confidante.  "  I  am  the  mid- 
shipman whom  Mr  Somerville  supposes  to  be  in  the 
Mediterranean,  and  I  ran  away  from  my  father's  house 
last  night." 

Although  I  was  as  concise  as  possible  in  my  story, 
I  had  not  finished  before  Mr  Somerville  came  in. 


The  Naval  Officer  127 

"  Oh,  papa,"  said  his  daughter,  "  this  young  gentle- 
man is  Frank  Mildmay,  after  all." 

I  gave  her  a  reproachful  glance  for  having  betrayed  my 
secret ;  her  father  was  astonished — she  looked  confused, 
and  so  did  I. 

Nothing  now  remained  for  me  but  an  open  and  candid 
confession,  taking  especial  care,  however,  to  conceal  the 
part  I  had  acted  in  throwing  the  stone.  Mr  Somerville 
reproved  me  very  sharply,  which  I  thought  was  taking 
a  great  liberty  ;  but  he  softened  it  down  by  adding, 
"  If  you  knew  how  dear  the  interests  of  your  family 
are  to  me,  you  would  not  be  surprised  at  my  assuming 
the  tone  of  a  parent."  I  looked  at  Emily,  and  pocketed 
the  affront. 

"  And,  Frank,"  pursued  he,  "wlien  I  tell  you,  that, 
although  the  distance  between  your  father's  property 
and  mine  has  in  some  measure  interrupted  our  long 
intimacy,  I  have  been  watching  your  career  in  the  service 
with  interest,  you  will,  perhaps,  take  my  advice,  and 
return  home.  Do  not  let  me  have  to  regret  that  one 
to  whom  I  am  under  such  obligations  should  be  too 
proud  to  acknowledge  a  fault.  I  admire  a  high  spirit 
in  a  good  cause :  but  towards  a  parent  it  can  never  be 
justified.  It  may  be  unpleasant  to  you ;  but  I  will  pre- 
pare the  way  by  writing  to  your  father :  and  do  you 
stay  here  till  you  hear  from  me.     I  should  wish  for  the 

pleasure  of  your  company  at Hall ;  but  your  father 

has  prior  claims ;  and  I  hardly  need  tell  you,  that  once 
restored  and  reconciled  to  him,  I  expect  as  long  a  visit 
as  you  can  afford  to  pay  me.  Think  on  what  I  have 
said;  and,  in  the  meantime,  as  I  daresay  your  finances 
are  not  very  flourishing " — (thinks  I,  you  are  a  witch  !) 
— "  allow  me  to  leave  this  ten-pound  note  in  your  hands." 
This  part  of  his  request  was  much  more  readily  complied 
with  than  the  other. 

He  left  the  room,  as  he  said,  to  pay  the  bill ;  but  1 
believe  it  was  to  give  his  fair  daughter  an  opportunity 
of  trying  the  effect  of  her  eloquence  on  my  proud  spirit, 


128  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

which  gave  no  great  promise  of  concession.  A  few 
minutes  with  her,  did  more  than  both  the  fathers  could 
have  effected,  the  most  powerful  motive  to  submission 
being  the  certainty  that  I  could  not  visit  at  her  father's 
house  until  a  reconciliation  had  taken  place  between  me 
and  mine.  I  therefore  told  her  that,  at  her  solicitation, 
I  would  submit  to  any  liberal  terms. 

This  being  agreed  to,  her  father  observed  that  the 
carriage  was  at  the  door,  shook  hands  with  me,  and  led 
his  lovely  daughter  away,  whose  last  nod  and  parting 
look  confirmed  all  my  good  resolutions. 

Reader,  whatever  you  may  think  of  the  trifling  incidents 
of  the  last  twenty-four  hours,  you  will  find  that  they  in- 
volved consequences  of  vast  importance  to  the  writer  of 
this  memoir.  Pride  induced  me  to  quit  my  father's 
house  ;  revenge  stimulated  me  to  an  act  which  brought 
the  heroine  of  this  story  on  the  stage,  for  such  will  Emily 
Somerville  prove  to  be.  But,  alas  !  by  what  fatal  in- 
fatuation was  Mr  Somerville  induced  to  leave  me  my  own 
master  at  an  inn,  with  ten  pounds  in  my  pocket,  instead  of 
taking  me  with  him  to  his  own  residence,  and  keeping  me 
till  he  had  heard  from  my  father  ?  The  wisest  men  often 
err  in  points  which  at  first  appear  of  trivial  importance, 
but  which  prove  in  the  sequel  to  have  been  fraught  with 
evil. 

Left  to  myself,  I  ruminated  for  some  time  on  what  had 
occurred ;  and  the  beautiful  Emily  Somerville  having 
vanished  from  my  sight,  I  recollected  the  little  fascinating 
actress  from  whom  I  had  so  suddenly  parted  on  the 
preceding  night ;  still  I  must  say,  that  I  was  so  much 
occupied  with  the  charms  of  her  successor,  that  I  sought 
the  society  of  the  youthful  Melpomene  more  with  a  view 
to  beguile  the  time,  than  from  any  serious  prepossession. 

I  found  her  in  the  large  room,  where  they  were  all 
assembled.  She  received  me  as  a  friend,  and  evinced  a 
partiality  which  flattered  my  vanity.  In  three  days,  I 
received  a  letter  from  Mr  Somerville,  inclosing  one  from 
my  father,  whose  only  request  was,  that  I  would  return 


The  Naval  Officer  129 

home,  and  meet  him  as  if  nothing  unpleasant  had  occurred. 
This  I  determined  to  do ;  but  I  had  now  been  so  long  in 
the  company  of  Eugenia  (for  that  was  the  actress's  name), 
that  I  could  not  very  easily  part  with  her.  In  fact,  I 
was  desperately  in  love,  after  my  fashion ;  and  though 
perhaps  I  could  not  with  truth  say  the  same  of  her,  yet 
that  she  was  partial  to  my  company  was  evident.  I  had 
obtained  from  her  the  history  of  her  life,  which,  in  the 
following  chapter,  I  shall  give  in  her  own  words. 


Chapter  X 

She  is  virtuous,  though  bred  behind  the  scenes :  and,  whatever  pleasure 
she  may  feel  in  seeing  herself  applauded  on  the  stage,  she  would  much 
rather  pass  for  a  modest  girl,  than  for  a  good  actress. — Gil  Bias. 

"My  Father,"  said  Eugenia,  "was  at  the  head  of  this 
company  of  strolling  players  ;  my  mother  was  a  young 
lady  of  respectable  family,  at  a  boarding-school.  She 
took  a  fancy  to  my  father  in  the  character  of  '  Rolla ' ; 
and,  being  of  course  deservedly  forsaken  by  her  friends, 
became  a  prima  donna.  I  was  the  only  fruits  of  this 
connection,  and  the  only  solace  of  my  mother  in  her 
affliction ;  for  she  bitterly  repented  the  rash  step  she 
had  taken. 

"  At  five  years  old,  my  father  proposed  that  I  should 
take  the  character  of  Cupid,  in  the  opera  of  Telemaque. 
To  this  my  mother  strongly  objected,  declaring  that  I 
never  should  go  upon  the  stage ;  and  this  created  a  dis- 
union which  was  daily  embittered  by  my  father's  unkind 
treatment  both  of  my  mother  and  myself.  I  never  left 
her  side  for  fear  of  a  kick,  which  I  was  sure  to  receive 
when  I  had  not  her  protection.  She  employed  all  her 
spare  time  in  my  instruction,  and,  notwithstanding  the 
folly  she  had  been  guilty  of,  she  was  fully  competent  to 
the  task. 

"  When  I  was  seven  years  old,  a  relation  of  my  mother 

M  I 


130  Frank  Mildmay  ;  or, 

died,  and  bequeathed  fifteen  thousand  pounds,  to  be 
equally  divided  between  her  and  her  two  sisters,  securing 
my  mother's  portion  in  such  a  manner  as  to  prevent  my 
father  having  any  control  over  it.  As  soon  as  my  mother 
obtained  this  information,  she  quitted  my  father,  who 
was  too  prudent  to  spend  either  his  time  or  his  money 
in  pursuit  of  her.  Had  he  been  aware  of  her  sudden 
change  of  fortune,  he  might  have  acted  differently. 

"  We  arrived  in  London,  took  possession  of  the  property, 
which  was  all  in  the  funds  ;  and  then,  fearing  my  father 
might  gain  information  of  her  wealth,  my  mother  set  off 
for  France,  taking  me  with  her.  There  I  passed  the 
happiest  days  of  my  life ;  my  mother  spared  no  pains,  and 
went  to  considerable  expense  in  my  education.  The  best 
masters  were  provided  for  me  in  singing,  dancing,  and 
music  ;  and  so  much  did  I  profit  by  their  instruction,  that 
I  was  very  soon  considered  a  pretty  specimen  of  my 
countrywomen,  and  much  noticed  accordingly. 

"  From  France  we  went  to  Italy,  where  we  remained 
two  years,  and  where  my  vocal  education  was  completed. 
My  poor  mother  lived  all  this  time  on  the  principal  of 
her  fortune,  concluding  it  would  last  for  ever.  At  last 
she  was  taken  ill  of  a  fever,  and  died.  This  was  about 
a  year  ago,  when  I  was  only  sixteen.  Delirious  many 
days  before  her  death,  she  could  give  me  no  instructions 
as  to  my  future  conduct,  or  where  to  apply  for  resources. 
I  happened,  however,  to  know  her  banker  in  London,  and 
wrote  to  him  immediately  ;  in  answer,  he  informed  me 
that  a  balance  of  forty  pounds  was  all  that  remained  in 
his  hands. 

"I  believe  he  cheated  me,  but  I  could  not  help  it. 
My  spirits  were  not  depressed  at  this  news ;  I  sold  all 
the  furniture ;  paid  the  little  debts  to  the  tradespeople, 
and,  with  nine  pounds  in  my  pocket,  took  my  place  in 
the  diligence,  and  set  off  for  London,  where  I  arrived 
without  accident.  I  read  in  the  newspaper,  at  the  inn, 
that  a  provincial  company  was  in  want  of  a  young  actress 
for  genteel  comedy.      My  mother's  original  passion  for 


The  Naval  Officer  131 

the  stage  had  never  left  her ;  and,  during  our  stay  in 
France,  we  often  amused  ourselves  with  la  petite  comedie, 
in  which  I  always  took  a  part. 

"Without  resources,  I  thought  a  precarious  mode  of 
obtaining  a  livelihood  was  better  than  a  vicious  one,  and 
determined  to  try  my  fortune  on  the  stage :  so  I  ordered  a 
hack,  and  drove  to  the  office  indicated.  I  felt  a  degree  of 
comfort,  when  I  discovered  that  my  father  was  the  adver- 
tising manager,  although  I  was  certain  he  would  never 
recognise  me.  I  was  engaged  by  the  agent,  the  bargain 
was  approved  of,  and  in  a  day  or  two  after,  was  ordered 
to  a  country  town,  some  miles  from  the  metropolis. 

"I  arrived;  my  father  did  not  know  me,  nor  did  I  wish 
that  he  should,  as  I  did  not  intend  to  remain  long  in  the 
company.  I  short,  I  aspired  to  the  London  boards ;  but 
aware  that  I  wanted  practice,  without  which  it  would  have 
been  useless  to  have  offered  myself,  I  accepted  this 
situation  without  delay,  and  applied  with  great  assiduity 
to  the  study  of  my  profession.  My  father,  I  found,  had 
married  again ;  and  my  joining  the  company  added  nothing 
to  his  domestic  harmony,  my  stepmother  becoming  im- 
moderately jealous  of  me  ;  but  I  took  good  care  to  keep 
my  own  secret,  and  never  exposed  myself  for  one  moment 
to  any  suspicion  of  my  character,  which  hitherto,  thank 
Heaven,  has  been  pure,  though  I  am  exposed  to  a  thousand 
temptations,  and  beset  by  the  actors  to  become  the  wife 
of  one,  or  the  mistress  of  another. 

"  Among  those  who  proposed  the  latter,  was  my 
honoured  father,  to  whom,  on  that  account,  I  was  one  day 
on  the  point  of  revealing  the  secret  of  my  birth,  as  the 
only  means  of  saving  myself  from  his  importunities.  He 
was,  at  last,  taken  ill,  and  died,  only  three  months  ago, 
not  before  I  had  completed  my  engagements,  and  obtained 
an  increased  salary  of  one  guinea  and  a  half  per  week. 
It  is  my  intention  to  quit  the  company  at  the  expiration  of 
my  present  term,  which  will  take  place  in  two  months,  for 
I  am  miserable  here,  although  I  am  quite  at  a  loss  to  know 
what  will  be  my  future  destination." 


132  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

In  return  for  her  confidence,  I  imparted  as  much  of  my 
history  as  I  thought  it  necessary  for  her  to  know.  I 
became  deeply  fascinated — I  forgot  Miss  Somerville,  and 
answered  my  father's  letter  respectfully  and  kindly.  He 
informed  me  that  he  had  procured  my  name  to  be  entered 
on  the  books  of  the  guard-ship,  at  Spithead  :  but,  that  I 
might  gain  time  to  loiter  by  the  side  of  Eugenia,  I  begged 
his  permission  to  join  my  ship  without  returning  home, 
alleging  as  a  reason,  that  delay  would  soften  down  any 
asperity  of  feeling  occasioned  by  the  late  fracas.  This  in 
his  answer  he  agreed  to,  enclosing  a  handsome  remittance ; 
and  the  same  post  brought  a  pressing  invitation  from  Mr 
Somerville  to  come  to Hall. 

My  little  actress  informed  me  that  the  company  would 
set  out  in  two  days  for  the  neighbourhood  of  Portsmouth ; 
and,  as  I  found  that  they  would  be  more  than  a  fortnight 
in  travelling,  I  determined  to  accept  the  invitation,  and 
quit  her  for  the  present.  I  had  been  more  than  a  week  in 
her  society.  At  parting,  I  professed  my  admiration  and 
love.  Silence  and  a  starting  tear  were  her  only  acknow- 
ledgment. I  saw  that  she  was  not  displeased  ;  and  I  left 
her  with  joyful  anticipations. 

But  what  did  I  anticipate,  as  I  rolled  heedlessly  along 

in  the  chaise  to  Hall  ?     Sensual  gratification  at  the 

expense  of  a  poor  defenceless  orphan,  whose  future  life 
would  be  clouded  with  misery.  I  could  see  my  wicked- 
ness, and  moralise  upon  it ;  but  the  devil  was  triumphant 
within  me,  and  I  consoled  myself  with  the  vulgar  adage, 
"  Needs  n  ust  when  the  devil  drives."  With  this,  I  dis- 
missed the  subject  to  think  of  Emily,  whose  residence  was 
now  in  sight. 

I  arrived  at Hall,  was  kindly  received  and  welcomed 

by  both  father  and  daughter ;  but  on  this  visit,  I  must  not 
dwell.  "When  I  reflect  on  it,  I  hate  myself  and  human 
nature  !  Could  I  be  trusted  ?  yet  I  inspired  unbounded 
confidence.  Was  I  not  as  vicious  as  one  of  my  age  could 
be  ?  Yet  I  made  them  believe  I  was  almost  perfection. 
Did  I  deserve  to  be  happy  ?     Yet  I  was  so,  and  more  so 


The  Naval  Officer  133 

than  I  had  ever  been  before  or  ever  have  been  since.  I 
was  like  the  serpent  in  Eden,  though  without  his  vile 
intentions.  Beauty  and  virtue  united  to  keep  my  passions 
in  subjection.  When  they  had  nothing  to  feed  on,  they 
concealed  themselves  in  the  inmost  recesses  of  my  bosom. 

Had  I  remained  always  with  Emily,  I  should  have  been 
reclaimed ;  but  when  I  quitted  her,  I  lost  all  my  good 
feelings  and  good  resolutions ;  not,  however,  before  the 
bright  image  of  virtue  had  lighted  up  in  my  bosom  a 
holy  flame  which  has  never  been  entirely  extinguished. 
Occasionally  dimmed,  it  has  afterwards  burnt  up  with 
renewed  brightness ;  and,  as  a  beacon-light,  has  often 
guided  me  through  perils  that  might  have  overwhelmed 
me. 

Compelled  at  last  to  quit  this  earthly  paradise,  I  told  her, 
at  parting,  that  I  loved  her,  adored  her ;  and  to  prove  that 
I  was  in  earnest,  and  that  she  believed  me,  I  obtained  a  lock 

of  her  hair.     When  I  left Hall,  it  was  my  intention 

to  have  joined  my  ship,  as  I  had  agreed  with  my  father  ; 
but  the  temptation  to  follow  up  my  success  with  the  fair 
and  unfortunate  Eugenia  was  too  strong  to  be  resisted ;  at 
least  I  thought  so,  and  therefore  hardly  made  an  effort  to 
conquer  it.  True  I  did,  pro  forma,  make  my  appearance  on 
board  the  guard-ship,  had  my  name  entered  on  the  books, 
that  I  might  not  lose  my  time  of  servitude,  and  that  I 
might  also  deceive  my  father.  All  this  being  duly  accom- 
plished, I  obtained  leave  of  absence  from  my  first  lieutenant, 
an  old  acquaintance,  who,  in  a  ship  crowded  with  super- 
numerary midshipmen,  was  but  too  happy  in  getting  rid  of 
me  and  my  chest. 

I  hastened  to  the  rendezvous,  and  found  the  company  in 
full  activity.  Eugenia,  when  we  parted,  expressed  a  wish 
that  our  acquaintance  might  not  be  renewed.  She  feared 
for  her  own  character  as  well  as  mine,  and  very  sensibly 
and  feelingly  observed  that  my  professional  prospects 
might  be  blasted  j  but,  having  made  up  my  mind,  I  had  an 
answer  for  all  her  objections.  I  presented  myself  to  the 
manager,  and  requested  to  be  admitted  into  the  company. 


134  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

Having  taken  this  step,  Eugenia  saw  that  my  attachment 
was  not  to  be  overcome ;  that  I  was  willing  to  make  any 
sacrifice  for  her.  I  was  accepted  ;  my  salary  was  fixed  at 
one  guinea  per  week,  with  seven  shillings  extra  for  playing 
the  flute.  I  was  indebted  for  my  ready  admission  into  this 
society  to  my  voice  :  the  manager  wanted  a  first  singer. 
My  talent  in  this  science  was  much  admired.  I  signed  my 
agreement  the  same  evening  for  two  months  ;  and,  being 
presented  in  due  form  to  my  brethren  of  the  buskin,  joined 
the  supper-table,  where  there  was  more  of  abundance  than 
of  delicacies.  I  sat  by  Eugenia,  whose  decided  preference 
for  me  excited  the  jealousy  of  my  new  associates.  I 
measured  them  all  with  my  eye,  and  calculated  that,  with 
fair  play,  I  was  the  best  man  among  them. 

The  play-bills  announced  the  tragedy  of  "  Romeo  and 
Juliet."  I  was  to  be  the  hero,  and  four  days  were  allowed 
me  to  prepare  myself.  The  whole  of  that  time  was  passed 
in  the  company  of  Eugenia,  who,  while  she  gave  me  un- 
equivocal proofs  of  attachment,  admitted  of  no  freedom. 
The  day  of  rehearsal  arrived,  I  was  found  perfect,  and 
loudly  applauded  by  the  company.  Six  o'clock  came,  the 
curtain  rose,  and  sixteen  tallow  candles  displayed  my  person 
to  an  audience  of  about  one  hundred  people. 

No  one  who  has  not  been  in  the  situation  can  form  any 
idea  of  the  nervous  feeling  of  a  debutant  on  such  an 
occasion.  The  troupe,  with  the  exception  of  Eugenia,  was 
of  a  description  of  persons  whom  I  despise,  and  the 
audience  mostly  clodhoppers,  who  could  scarcely  read  or 
write ;  yet  I  was  abashed,  and  acquitted  myself  badly, 
until  the  balcony  scene,  when  I  became  enlivened  and  in- 
vigorated by  the  presence  and  smiles  of  my  mistress.  In 
the  art  of  love-making  I  was  at  home,  particularly  with  the 
Juliet  of  that  night.  I  entered  at  once  into  the  spirit  of 
the  great  dramatist,  and  the  curtain  dropped  amidst 
thunders  of  applause.  My  name  was  announced  for  a 
repetition  of  the  play,  and  I  was  dragged  forward  before  the 
curtain,  to  thank  the  grocers,  tallow-chandlers,  cheese- 
mongers, and  ploughmen  for  the  great  honour  they  had 


The  Naval  Officer 


^5 


done  me.  Heavens !  how  I  felt  the  degradation  ;  but  it 
was  too  late. 

The  natural  result  of  this  constant  intercourse  with 
Eugenia  may  easily  be  anticipated.  I  do  not  attempt  to 
extenuate  my  fault — it  was  inexcusable,  and  has  brought 
its  punishment ;  but  for  poor,  forlorn  Eugenia  I  plead  ;  her 
virtue  fell  before  my  importunity  and  my  personal 
appearance.  She  fell  a  victim  to  those  unhappy  circum- 
stances of  which  I  basely  took  the  advantage. 

Two  months  I  had  lived  with  her,  as  man  and  wife ;  I 
forgot  my  family,  profession,  and  even  Emily.  I  was  now 
upon  the  ship's  books  ;  and  though  no  one  knew  anything 
of  me,  my  father  was  ignorant  of  my  absence  from 
the  ship — everything  was  sacrificed  to  Eugenia.  I  acted 
with  her,  strolled  the  fields,  and  vowed  volumes  of  stuff 
about  constancy.  When  we  played,  we  filled  the  house  ; 
and  some  of  the  more  respectable  townspeople  offered  to 
introduce  us  to  the  London  boards,  but  this  we  both 
declined.  We  cared  for  nothing  but  the  society  of  each 
other. 

And  now  that  time  has  cooled  the  youthful  ardour  that 
carried  me  away  let  me  do  justice  to  this  unfortunate  girl. 
She  was  the  most  natural,  unaffected  and  gifted  person  I 
ever  met  with.  Boundless  wit,  enchanting  liveliness,  a 
strong  mind,  and  self-devotion  towards  me,  the  first,  and,  I 
firmly  believe,  the  only  object  she  ever  loved  ;  and  her  love 
for  me  ceased  only  with  her  life.  Her  faults,  though  not 
to  be  defended,  may  be  palliated  and  deplored,  because  they 
were  the  defects  of  education,  Her  infant  days  were 
passed  in  scenes  of  domestic  strife,  profligacy,  and  penury  ; 
her  maturer  years,  under  the  guidance  of  a  weak  mother, 
were  employed  in  polishing,  not  strengthening,  the  edifice  of 
her  understanding,  and  the  external  ornaments  only  served 
to  accelerate  the  fall  of  the  fabric,  and  to  increase  the 
calamity. 

Bred  up  in  France,  and  almost  in  the  fervour  of  the 
Revolution,  she  had  imbibed  some  of  its  libertine  opinions  ; 
among  others,  that  marriage  was  a  civil  contract,  and  if 


136  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

entered  into  at  all,  might  be  broken  at  the  pleasure  of 
either  party.  This  idea  was  strengthened  and  confirmed 
in  her  by  the  instances  she  had  seen  of  matrimonial  discord, 
particularly  in  her  own  family.  When  two  people,  who 
fancied  they  loved,  had  bound  themselves  by  an  indis- 
soluble knot,  they  felt  from  that  time  the  irksomeness  of 
restraint,  which  they  would  never  have  felt  if  they  had 
possessed  the  power  of  separation  ;  and  would  have  lived 
happily  together  if  they  had  not  been  compelled  to  do  it. 
"  How  long  you,  my  dear  Frank,"  said  Eugenia  to  me  one 
day,  "  may  continue  to  love  me,  I  know  not ;  but  the 
moment  you  cease  to  love  me,  it  were  better  that  we 
parted." 

These  were  certainly  the  sentiments  of  an  enthusiast ; 
but  Eugenia  lived  long  enough  to  acknowledge  her  error, 
and  to  bewail  its  fatal  effects  on  her  peace  of  mind. 

I  was  awoke  from  this  dream  of  happiness  by  a  curious 
incident.  I  thought  it  disastrous  at  the  time,  but  am  now 
convinced  that  it  was  fraught  with  good,  since  it  brought 
me  back  to  my  profession,  recalled  me  to  a  sense  of  duty, 
and  showed  me  the  full  extent  of  my  disgraceful  situation. 
My  father,  it  appears,  was  still  ignorant  of  my  absence 
from  my  ship,  and  had  come  down,  without  my  knowledge, 
on  a  visit  to  a  friend  in  the  neighbourhood.  Hearing  of 
"  the  interesting  young  man  "  who  had  acquired  so  much 
credit  in  the  character  of  Apollo,  as  well  as  of  Romeo,  he 
was  persuaded  to  see  the  performance. 

I  was  in  the  act  of  singing  "  Pray  Goody,"  when  my  eyes 
suddenly  met  those  of  my  papa,  who  was  staring  like  the 
head  of  Gorgon  ;  and  though  his  gaze  did  not  turn  me  to 
stone,  it  turned  me  sick.  I  was  stupified,  forgot  my  part, 
ran  off,  and  left  the  manager  and  the  music  to  make  the 
best  of  it.  My  father,  who  could  hardly  believe  his  eyes, 
was  convinced  when  he  saw  my  confusion.  I  ran  into  the 
dressing-room,  where,  before  I  had  time  to  divest  myself 
of  Apollo's  crown  and  petticoat,  I  was  accosted  by  my 
enraged  parent,  and  it  is  quite  impossible  for  me  to 
describe  (taking  my  costume  into  consideration)  how  very 
much  like  a  fool  I  looked. 


The  Naval  Officer  137 

My  father  sternly  demanded  how  long  I  had  been  thus 
honourably  employed.  This  was  a  question  which  I  had 
anticipated,  and,  therefore,  very  readily  replied,  "  Only 
two  or  three  days;"  that  I  had  left  Portsmouth  for  what 
we  called  "  a  lark,"  and  I  thought  it  very  amusing. 

"  Very  amusing,  indeed,  sir,"  said  my  father ;  "  and 
pray,  may  I  venture  to  inquire,  without  the  fear  of  having 
a  lie  told  me,  how  long  this  '  lark,'  as  you  call  it,  is  to 
continue  ?  " 

"  Oh,  to-morrow,"  said  I,  "  my  leave  expires,  and  then 
I  must  return  to  my  ship." 

"  Allow  me  the  honour  of  keeping  your  company,"  said 
my  father  °,  ■ '  and  I  shall  beg  your  captain  to  impose  some 
little  restraint  as  to  time  and  distance  on  your  future 
excursions." 

Then  rising  in  his  tone,  he  added,  "  I  am  ashamed  of 
you,  sir ;  the  son  of  a  gentleman  is  not  likely  to  reap  any 
advantage  from  the  society  of  strolling  vagabonds  and 
prostitutes.  I  had  reason  to  think,  by  your  last  letters 
from  Portsmouth,  that  you  were  very  differently 
employed." 

To  this  very  sensible  and  parental  reproof  I  answered, 
with  a  demure  and  innocent  countenance  (for  I  soon 
regained  my  presence  of  mind)  that  I  did  not  think  there 
had  been  any  harm  in  doing  that  which  most  of  the  officers 
of  the  navy  did  at  one  time  or  another  (an  assertion,  by- 
the-by,  much  too  general)  ;  that  we  often  got  up  plays  on 
board  of  ship,  and  that  I  wanted  to  practise. 

"  Practise,  then  with  your  equals,"  said  my  father,  "not 
in  company  with  rogues  and  street-walkers." 

I  felt  that  the  latter  name  was  meant  for  Eugenia,  and 
was  very  indignant  ;  but  fortunately  kept  all  my  anger 
within  board,  and,  knowing  I  was  "  all  in  the  wrong," 
allowed  my  father  to  fire  away  without  returning  a  shot. 
He  concluded  his  lecture  by  commanding  me  to  call  upon 
him  the  next  morning,  at  ten  o'clock,  and  left  me  to  change 
my  dress,  and  to  regain  my  good  humour.  I  need  not 
add  that  I  did  not  return  to  the  stage  that  night,  but  left 


138  Frank  Mildmay ;  or, 

the  manager  to  make  his  peace  with  the  audience  in  any 
way  he  thought  proper. 

When  I  informed  Eugenia  of  the  evening's  adventure, 
she  was  inconsolable  :  to  comfort  her,  I  offered  to  give  up 
my  family  and  my  profession,  and  live  with  her.  At  these 
words,  Eugenia  suddenly  recollected  herself.  "  Frank," 
said  she,  "  all  that  has  happened  is  right.  We  are  both 
wrong.  I  felt  that  I  was  too  happy,  and  shut  my  eyes  to 
the  danger  I  dared  not  face.  Your  father  is  a  man  of 
sense  ;  his  object  is  to  reclaim  you  from  inevitable  ruin. 
As  for  me,  if  he  knew  of  our  connection,  he  could  only 
despise  me.  He  sees  his  son  living  with  strolling  players  ; 
and  it  is  his  duty  to  cut  the  chain,  no  matter  by  what 
means.  You  have  an  honourable  and  distinguished  career 
marked  out  for  you  ;  I  will  never  be  an  obstacle  to  your 
father's  just  ambition  or  your  prosperity.  I  did  hope  for 
a  happier  destiny ;  but  love  blinded  my  eyes :  I  am  now 
undeceived.  If  your  father  cannot  respect  me,  he  shall  at 
least  admire  the  resolution  of  the  unhappy  Eugenia.  I 
have  tenderly  loved  you,  my  dearest  Frank,  and  never 
have  loved  any  other,  nor  ever  shall ;  but  part  we  must : 
Heaven  only  knows  for  how  long  a  time.  I  am  ready  to 
make  every  sacrifice  to  your  fame  and  character — the  only 
proof  I  can  give  of  my  unbounded  love  for  you." 

I  embraced  her  as  she  uttered  these  words  ;  and  we 
spent  a  great  part  of  the  night  in  making  preparations  for 
my  departure,  arrangements  for  our  future  correspondence, 
and,  if  possible,  for  our  future  meetings.  I  left  her  early 
on  the  following  morning ;  and  with  a  heavy,  I  had  almost 
said,  a  broken  heart,  appeared  before  my  father.  He 
was,  no  doubt,  aware  of  my  attachment  and  the  violence 
of  my  passions,  and  prudently  endeavoured  to  soothe  them. 
He  received  me  affectionately,  did  not  renew  the  subject 
of  the  preceding  night,  and  we  became  very  good  friends. 

In  tearing  myself  away  from  Eugenia,  I  found  the  truth 
of  the  French  adage,  "  Ce  n'est  que  la  premiere  pas  qui 
coute;"  my  heart  grew  lighter  as  I  increased  my  distance 
from  her.     My  father,  to  detach  my  mind  still  more  from 


The  Naval  Officer  139 

the  unfortunate  subject,  spoke  much  of  family  affairs,  of 
my  brother  and  sisters,  and  lastly  named  Mr  Somerville 
and  Emily  :  here  he  touched  on  the  right  chord.  The 
remembrance  of  Emily  revived  the  expiring  embers  of 
virtue,  and  the  recollection  of  the  pure  and  perfect  mistress 

of Hall,  for  a  time,  dismissed  the  unhappy  Eugenia 

from  my  mind.  I  told  my  father  that  I  would  engage 
never  to  disgrace  him  or  myself  any  more,  if  he  would 
promise  not  to  name  my  late  folly  to  Mr  Somerville  or  his 
daughter. 

"That,"  said  my  father,  "I  promise  most  readily;  and 
with  the  greater  pleasure,  since  I  see,  in  your  request,  the 
strongest  proof  of  the  sense  of  your  error." 

This  conversation  passed  on  our  road  to  Portsmouth, 
where  we  had  no  sooner  arrived  than  my  father,  who  was 
acquainted  with  the  port-admiral,  left  me  at  the  "  George," 
while  he  crossed  the  street  to  call  on  him.  The  result  of 
this  interview  was  that  I  should  be  sent  out  immediately 
in  some  sea-going  ship  with  a  "  tight  captain." 

There  was  one  of  this  description  just  about  to  sail  for 
Basque  Roads ;  and,  at  the  admiral's  particular  request, 
I  was  received  on  board  as  a  supernumerary,  there  being 
no  vacancies  in  the  ship.  My  father,  who  by  this  time 
was  wide  awake  to  all  my  wiles,  saw  me  on  board  ;  and 
then  flattering  himself  that  I  was  in  safe  custody,  took  his 
leave  and  returned  to  the  shore.  I  very  soon  found  that 
I  was  under  an  embargo,  and  was  not  on  any  account  to 
be  allowed  leave  of  absence. 

This  was  pretty  nearly  what  I  expected  ;  but  I  had  my 
own  resources.  I  had  now  learned  to  laugh  at  trifles,  and 
I  cared  little  about  this  decided  step  which  his  prudence 
induced  him  to  take. 


140  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 


Chapter   XI 

"  Our  boat  has  one  sail, 
And  the  helmsman  is  pale ; 
A  bold  pilot,  I  trow 
Who  should  follow  us  now," 

Shouted  he. 
As  he  spoke,  bolts  of  death 
Speck'd  their  path  o'er  the  sea. 
"  And  fear'st  thou,  and  fear'st  thou  ? 
And  see'st  thou,  and  hear'st  thou? 
And  drive  we  not  free 
O'er  the  terrible  sea, 

I  and  thou  ?  "  Shelley. 

The  reader  may  think  I  was  over  fastidious  when  I  inform 
him  that  I  cannot  describe  the  disgust  I  felt  at  the  licentious 
impurity  of  manners  which  I  found  in  the  midshipmen's 
berth ;  for  although  my  connection  with  Eugenia  was  not 
sanctioned  by  religion  or  morality,  it  was  in  other  respects 
pure,  disinterested,  and,  if  I  may  use  the  expression,  patri- 
archal, since  it  was  unsullied  by  inconstancy,  gross  language, 
or  drunkenness.  Vicious  I  was,  and  I  own  it  to  my  shame  ; 
but  at  least  my  vice  was  refined  by  Eugenia,  who  had  no 
fault  but  one. 

As  soon  as  I  had  settled  myself  in  my  new  abode,  with 
all  the  comfort  that  circumstances  would  permit,  I  wrote 
a  long  letter  to  Eugenia,  in  which  I  gave  an  exact  account 
of  all  that  had  passed  since  our  separation ;  I  begged  her 
to  come  down  to  Portsmouth  and  see  me ;  told  her  to  go 
to  the  "  Star  and  Garter,"  as  the  house  nearest  the  water- 
side, and  consequently  where  I  should  be  the  soonest  out 
of  sight  after  I  had  landed.  Her  answer  informed  me  that 
she  should  be  there  on  the  following  day. 

The  only  difficulty  now  was  to  get  on  shore.  No 
eloquence  of  mine,  I  was  sure,  would  induce  the  first 
lieutenant  to  relax  his  Cerberus-like  guard  over  me.  I 
tried  the  experiment,  however ;  begged  very  hard  "  to 
be  allowed  to  go  on  shore  to  procure  certain  articles 
absolutely  necessary  to  my  comfort." 


The  Naval  Officer  141 

"No,  no,"  said  Mr  Talbot,  "I  am  too  old  a  hand  to 
be  caught  that  way.  I  have  my  orders,  and  I  would  not 
let  my  father  go  on  shore,  if  the  captain  ordered  me  to 
keep  him  on  board ;  and  I  tell  you,  in  perfect  good 
humour,  that  out  of  this  ship  you  do  not  go,  unless  you 
swim  on  shore,  and  that  I  do  not  think  you  will  attempt. 
Here,"  continued  he,  "  to  prove  to  you  there  is  no  ill-will 
on  my  part,  here  is  the  captain's  note." 

It  was  short,  sweet,  and  complimentary,  as  it  related  to 
myself,  and  was  as  follows  : — 

"  Keep  that  d — d  young  scamp,  Mildmay,  on  board." 

"  Will  you  allow  me,  then,"  said  I,  folding  up  the  note, 
and  returning  it  to  him  without  any  comment,  "  will  you 
allow  me  to  go  on  shore  under  the  charge  of  the  sergeant 
of  marines  ?  " 

"  That,"  said  he,  "  would  be  just  as  much  an  infringe- 
ment of  my  orders  as  letting  you  go  by  yourself.  You 
cannot  go  on  shore,  sir." 

These  last  words  he  uttered  in  a  very  peremptory 
manner,  and,  quitting  the  deck,  left  me  to  my  own  reflec- 
tions and  my  own  resources. 

Intercourse  by  letter  between  Eugenia  and  myself  was 
perfectly  easy  j  but  that  was  not  all  I  wanted.  I  had  promised 
to  meet  her  at  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening.  It  was  now 
sunset ;  the  boats  were  all  hoisted  up  j  no  shore  boat  was 
near,  and  there  was  no  mode  of  conveyance  but  a  la  nage, 
which  Mr  Talbot  himself  had  suggested  only  as  proving 
its  utter  impracticability  ;  but  he  did  not  know  me  half 
so  well  at  the  time  as  he  did  afterwards. 

The  ship  lay  two  miles  from  the  shore,  the  wind  was 
from  the  south-west,  and  the  tide  moving  to  the  eastward ; 
so  that,  with  wind  and  tide  both  in  my  favour,  I  calculated 
on  fetching  South  Sea  Castle.  After  dark  I  took  my 
station  in  the  fore-channels.  It  was  the  20th  of  March, 
and  very  cold.  I  undressed  myself,  made  all  my  clothes 
up  into  a  very  tight  bundle,  and  fastened  them  on  my  hat, 
which  retained  its  proper  position  j  then,  lowering  myself 
very  gently  into  the  water,  like  another  Leander  I  struck 
out  to  gain  the  arms  of  my  Hero. 


142  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

Before  I  had  got  twenty  yards  from  the  ship,  I  was 
perceived  by  the  sentinel,  who,  naturally  supposing  I  was 
a  pressed  man  endeavouring  to  escape,  hailed  me  to  come 
back.  Not  being  obeyed,  the  officer  of  the  watch  ordered 
him  to  fire  at  me.  A  ball  whizzed  over  my  head,  and 
struck  the  water  between  my  hands.  A  dozen  more 
followed,  all  of  them  tolerably  well  directed  ;  but  I  struck 
out,  and  the  friendly  shades  of  night,  and  increasing 
distance  from  the  ship,  soon  protected  me.  A  waterman, 
seeing  the  flashes  and  hearing  the  reports  of  the  muskets, 
concluded  that  he  might  chance  to  pick  up  a  fare.  He 
pulled  towards  me,  I  hailed  him,  and  he  took  me  in,  before 
I  had  got  half  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  ship. 

"  I  doubt  whether  you  would  ever  have  fetched  the 
shore  on  that  tack,  my  lad,"  said  the  old  man.  "  You 
left  your  ship  two  hours  too  soon :  you  would  have  met  the 
ebb-tide  running  strong  out  of  the  harbour  ;  and  the  first 
thing  you  would  have  made,  if  you  could  have  kept 
up  your  head  above  water,  would  have  been  the  Ower's." 

While  the  old  man  was  pulling  and  talking,  I  was 
shivering  and  dressing,  and  made  no  reply ;  but  begged 
him  to  put  me  on  shore  on  the  first  part  of  South  Sea 
Beach  he  could  land  at,  which  he  did.  I  gave  him  a 
guinea,  and  ran,  without  stopping,  into  the  garrison,  and 
down  Point  Street  to  the  Star  and  Garter,  where  I  was 
received  by  Eugenia,  who,  with  great  presence  of  mind, 
called  me  her  "dear,  dear  husband!"  in  the  hearing  of 
the  people  of  the  house.  My  wet  clothes  attracted  her 
notice.  I  told  her  what  I  had  done  to  obtain  an  interview 
with  her.  She  shuddered  with  horror  ! — my  teeth  chattered 
with  cold.  A  good  fire,  a  hot  and  not  very  weak  glass 
of  brandy-and -water,  together  with  her  tears,  smiles,  and 
caresses,  soon  restored  me. — The  reader  will,  no  doubt, 
here  recall  to  mind  the  less  agreeable  remedy  applied  to 
me  when  I  ducked  the  usher,  and  one  recommended  also 
by  myself  in  similar  cases,  as  having  experienced  its  good 
effects  :  how  much  more  I  deserved  it  on  this  occasion 
than  the  former  one,  need  not  be  mentioned. 


The  Naval  Officer  143 

So  sweet  was  this  stolen  interview,  that  I  vowed  I  was 
ready  to  encounter  the  same  danger  on  the  succeeding 
night.  Our  conversation  turned  on  our  future  prospects  ; 
and,  as  our  time  was  short,  we  had  much  to  say. 

"  Frank,"  said  the  poor  girl,  "  before  we  meet  again, 
I  shall  probably  be  a  mother  j  and  this  hope  alone  alleviates 
the  agony  of  separation.  If  I  have  not  you,  I  shall,  at 
least,  be  blest  with  your  image.  Heaven  grant  that  it 
may  be  a  boy,  to  follow  the  steps  of  his  father,  and  not 
a  girl,  to  be  as  wretched  as  her  mother.  You,  my  dear 
Frank,  are  going  on  distant  and  dangerous  service — 
dangers  increased  tenfold  by  the  natural  ardour  of  your 
mind :  we  may  never  meet  again,  or  if  we  do,  the  period 
will  be  far  distant.  I  ever  have  been,  and  ever  will  be 
constant  to  you,  till  death  ;  but  I  neither  expect,  nor 
will  allow  of  the  same  declaration  on  your  part.  Other 
scenes,  new  faces,  youthful  passions  will  combine  to 
drive  me  for  a  time  from  your  thoughts,  and  when  you 
shall  have  attained  maturer  years,  and  a  rank  in  the  navy 
equal  to  your  merits  and  your  connections,  you  will  marry 
in  your  own  sphere  of  society ;  all  these  things  I  have 
made  up  my  mind  to,  as  events  that  must  take  place. 
Your  person  I  know  I  cannot  have — but  do  not,  do  not 
discard  me  from  your  mind.  I  shall  never  be  jealous  as 
long  as  I  know  you  are  happy,  and  still  love  your  un- 
fortunate Eugenia.  Your  child  shall  be  no  burthen  to 
you  until  it  shall  have  attained  an  age  at  which  it  may  be 
put  out  in  the  world :  then,  I  know  you  will  not  desert  it 
for  the  sake  of  its  mother.  Dear  Frank,  my  heart  is 
broken ;  but  you  are  not  to  blame  ;  and  if  you  were, 
I  would  die  imploring  blessings  on  your  head."  Here 
she  wept  bitterly. 

I  tried  every  means  in  my  power  to  comfort  and  en- 
courage this  fascinating  and  extraordinary  girl ;  I  forgot 
neither  vows  nor  promises,  which,  at  the  time,  I  fully 
intended  to  perform.  I  promised  her  a  speedy  and  I 
trusted  a  happy  meeting. 

"  God's  will  be   done,"   said   she,    "  come  what  will. 


144  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

And  now,  my  dearest  Frank,  farewell — never  again 
endanger  your  life  and  character  for  me  as  you  did  last 
night.  I  have  been  blest  in  your  society,  and  even  with 
the  prospect  of  misery  before  me,  cannot  regret  the 
past." 

I  tenderly  embraced  her,  jumped  into  a  wherry,  at 
Point,   and  desired    the  waterman    to  take  me  on  board 

the   / ,    at   Spithead.      The   first   lieutenant   was   on 

deck  when  I  came  up  the  side. 

"  I  presume  it  was  you  whom  we  fired  at  last  night  ?  " 
said  he,  smiling. 

"  It  was,  sir,"  said  I ;  "  absolute  necessity  compelled 
me  to  go  on  shore,  or  I  should  not  have  taken  such  an 
extraordinary  mode  of  conveyance." 

"  Oh,  with  all  my  heart,"  said  the  officer  ;  "  had  you 
told  me  you  intended  to  have  swum  on  shore,  I  should  not 
have  prevented  you  *,  I  took  you  for  one  of  the  pressed 
men,  and  directed  the  marines  to  fire  at  you." 

"The  pressed  men  are  extremely  obliged  to  you," 
thought  I. 

"  Did  you  not  find  it  devilish  cold  ?  "  continued  the 
lieutenant,  in  a  strain  of  good  humour,  which  I  encouraged 
by  my  manner  of  answering. 

"Indeed  I  did,  sir,"  said  I. 

"  And  the  jollies  fired  tolerably  well,  did  they  ?  " 

"  They  did,  sir ;  would  they  had  had  a  better  mark" 

"  I  understand  you,"  said  the  lieutenant ;  "  but  as  you 
have  not  served  your  time,  the  vacancy  would  be  of  no 
use  to  you.  I  must  report  the  affair  to  the  captain, 
though  I  do  not  think  he  will  take  any  notice  of  it ; 
he  is  too  fond  of  enterprise  himself  to  check  it  in  others. 
Besides,  a  lady  is  always  a  justifiable  object,  but  we  hope 
soon  to  show  you  some  higher  game." 

The  captain  came  on  board  shortly  after,  and  took  no 
notice  of  my  having  been  absent  without  leave  ;  he  made 
some  remark  as  he  glanced  his  eye  at  me,  which  I  after- 
wards learned  was  in  my  favour.  In  a  few  days  we 
sailed,  and  arrived  in  a  few  more  in  Basque  Roads.     The 


The  Naval  Officer  145 

British  fleet  was  at  anchor  outside  the  French  ships  moored 
in  a  line  off  the  Isle  d'Aix.  The  ship  I  belonged  to  had 
an  active  part  in  the  work  going  on,  and  most  of  us  saw 
more  than  we  chose  to  speak  of;  but  as  much  ill-blood 
was  made  on  that  occasion,  and  one  or  two  very  un- 
pleasant courts-martial  took  place,  I  shall  endeavour  to 
confine  myself  to  my  own  personal  narrative,  avoiding 
anything  that  may  give  offence  to  the  parties  concerned. 
Some  days  were  passed  in  preparing  the  fire-ships  ;  and 
on  the  night  of  the  nth  April,  1809,  everything  being 
prepared  for  the  attempt  to  destroy  the  enemy's  squadron, 
we  began  the  attack.  A  more  daring  one  was  never 
made  •,  and  if  it  partly  failed  of  success,  no  fault  could  be 
imputed  to  those  who  conducted  the  enterprise  :  they 
did  all  that  man  could  do. 

The  night  was  very  dark,  and  it  blew  a  strong  breeze 
directly  in  upon  the  Isle  d'Aix,  and  the  enemy's  fleet. 
Two  of  our  frigates  had  been  previously  so  placed  as  to 
serve  as  beacons  to  direct  the  course  of  the  fire-ships. 
They  each  displayed  a  clear  and  brilliant  light ;  the  fire- 
ships  were  directed  to  pass  between  these  ;  after  which, 
their  course  up  to  the  boom  which  guarded  the  anchorage, 
was  clear,  and  not  easily  to  be  mistaken. 

I  solicited,  and  obtained  permission  to  go  on  board  one 
of  the  explosion  vessels  that  were  to  precede  the  fire-ships. 
They  were  filled  with  layers  of  shells  and  powder,  heaped 
one  upon  another :  the  quantity  on  board  of  each  vessel 
was  enormous.  Another  officer,  three  seamen,  and  myself, 
were  all  that  were  on  board  of  her.  We  had  a  four-oared 
gig,  a  small  narrow  thing  (nick-named  by  the  sailors  a 
"  coffin  "),  to  make  our  escape  in. 

Being  quite  prepared,  we  started.  It  was  a  fearful 
moment;  the  wind  freshened,  and  whistled  through  our 
rigging,  and  the  night  was  so  dark,  that  we  could  not  see 
our  bowsprit.  We  had  only  our  foresail  set ;  but  with  a 
strong  flood-tide  and  a  fair  wind,  with  plenty  of  it,  we 
passed  between  the  advanced  frigates  like  an  arrow.  It 
seemed  to  me  like  entering  the  gates  of  hell.     As  we  flew 

M  K 


146"  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

rapidly  along,  and  our  own  ships  disappeared  in  the  intense 
darkness,  I  thought  of  Dante's  inscription  over  the  portals : 
— "  You  who  enter  here,  leave  hope  behind." 

Our  orders  were  to  lay  the  vessel  on  the  boom  which 
the  French  had  moored  to  the  outer  anchors  of  their  ships 
of  the  line.  In  a  few  minutes  after  passing  the  frigates 
we  were  close  to  it ;  our  boat  was  towing  astern,  with 
three  men  in  it — one  to  hold  the  rope  ready  to  let  go,  one 
to  steer,  and  one  to  bale  the  water  out,  which,  from  our 
rapid  motion,  would  otherwise  have  swamped  her.  The 
officer  who  accompanied  me  steered  the  vessel,  and  I  held 
the  match  in  my  hand.  We  came  upon  the  boom  with  a 
horrid  crash ;  he  put  the  helm  down,  and  laid  her  broad- 
side to  it.  The  force  of  the  tide  acting  on  the  hull,  and 
the  wind  upon  the  foresail,  made  her  heel  gunwale  to,  and 
it  was  with  difficulty  I  could  keep  my  legs ;  at  this 
moment,  the  boat  was  very  near  being  swamped  alongside. 
They  had  shifted  her  astern,  and  there  the  tide  had  almost 
lifted  her  over  the  boom  j  by  great  exertion  they  got  her 
clear,  and  lay  upon  their  oars  :  the  tide  and  the  wind 
formed  a  bubbling  short  sea,  which  almost  buried  her. 
My  companion  then  got  into  the  boat,  desiring  me  to  light 
the  port-fire,  and  follow. 

If  ever  I  felt  the  sensation  of  fear,  it 'was  after  I  had 
lighted  this  port-fire,  which  was  connected  with  the  train. 
Until  I  was  fairly  in  the  boat,  and  out  of  the  reach  of  the 
explosion — which  was  inevitable,  and  might  be  instan- 
taneous— the  sensation  was  horrid.  I  was  standing  on  a 
mine ;  any  fault  in  the  port-fire,  which  sometimes  will 
happen,  any  trifling  quantity  of  gunpowder  lying  in  the 
interstices  of  the  deck,  would  have  exploded  the  whole  in 
a  moment :  had  my  hand  trembled,  which  I  am  proud  to 
say  it  did  not,  the  same  might  have  occurred.  Only  one 
minute  and  a  half  of  port-fire  was  allowed.  I  had  there- 
fore no  time  to  lose.  The  moment  I  had  lit  it,  I  laid  it 
down  very  gently,  and  then  jumped  into  the  gig,  with  a 
nimbleness  suitable  to  the  occasion.  We  were  off  in  a 
moment :  I  pulled  the  stroke  oar,  and  I  never  plied  with 


The  Naval  Officer  147 

more  zeal  in  all  my  life  :  we  were  not  two  hundred  yards 
from  her  when  she  exploded, 

A  more  terrific  and  beautiful  sight  cannot  be  conceived  ; 
but  we  were  not  quite  enough  at  our  ease  to  enjoy  it. 
The  shells  flew  up  in  the  air  to  a  prodigious  height,  some 
bursting  as  they  rose,  and  others  as  they  descended.  The 
shower  fell  about  us,  but  we  escaped  without  injury.  We 
made  but  little  progress  against  the  wind  and  tide ;  and  we 
had  the  pleasure  to  run  the  gauntlet  among  all  the  other 
fire-ships,  which  had  been  ignited,  and  bore  down  on  us 
in  flames  fore  and  aft.  Their  rigging  was  hung  with 
Congreve  rockets ;  and  as  they  took  fire,  they  darted 
through  the  air  in  every  direction  with  an  astounding 
noise,  looking  like  large  fiery  serpents. 

We  arrived  safely  on  board,  and  reported  ourselves  to 
the  captain,  who  was  on  the  hammocks,  watching  the 
progress  of  the  fire-ships.  One  of  these  had  been  lighted 
too  soon ;  her  helm  had  not  been  lashed,  and  she  had 
broached  to,  close  to  our  frigate.  I  had  had  quite  enough 
of  adventure  for  that  night,  but  was  fated  to  have  a  little 
more. 

"Mr  Mildmay,"  said  the  captain,  "you  seem  to  like  the 
fun-,  jump  into  your  gig  again,  take  four  fresh  hands" 
(thinks  I,  a  fresh  midshipman  would  not  be  amiss),  "  get 
on  board  of  that  vessel,  and  put  her  head  the  right  way." 

I  did  not  like  this  job  at  all ;  the  vessel  appeared  to  be 
in  flames  from  the  jib-boom  to  the  topsail ;  and  I  own  I 
preferred  enjoying  the  honours  I  had  already  gained,  to 
going  after  others  so  very  precarious ;  however,  I  never 
made  a  difficulty,  and  this  was  no  time  for  exceptions  to 
my  rule.  I  touched  my  hat,  said,  "  Ay,  ay,  sir,"  sang 
out  for  four  volunteers,  and,  in  an  instant,  I  had  fifty.  I 
selected  four,  and  shoved  off  on  my  new  expedition. 

As  I  approached  the  vessel,  I  could  not  at  first  discover 
any  part  that  was  not  tenanted  by  the  flames,  the  heat  of 
which,  at  the  distance  of  twenty  or  thirty  feet,  was  far 
from  pleasant,  even  in  that  cold  night.  The  weather 
quarter  appeared  to  be  clearest  of  flames,  but  they  burst 


148  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

out  with  great  fury  from  the  cabin  windows.  I  contrived, 
with  great  difficulty,  to  reach  the  deck,  by  climbing  up 
that  part  which  was  not  actually  burning,  and  was 
followed  by  one  of  the  sailors.  The  main-mast  was  on 
fire,  and  the  flakes  of  burning  canvas  from  the  boom 
mainsail  fell  on  us  like  a  snow-storm ;  the  end  of  the 
tiller  was  burnt  to  charcoal,  but  on  the  midship  part  of 
it  I  passed  a  rope,  and,  assisted  by  the  sailor,  moved  the 
helm,  and  got  her  before  the  wind. 

While  I  was  thus  employed,  I  could  not  help  thinking 
of  my  type,  Don  Juan.  I  was  nearly  suffocated  before  I 
had  completed  my  work.  I  shoved  off  again,  and  away 
she  flew  before  the  wind.  "  I  don't  go  with  you  this 
time,"  said  I ;  "  J9 at  ete"  as  the  Frenchman  said,  when 
he  was  invited  to  an  English  foxhunt. 

I  was  as  black  as  a  negro  when  I  returned  on  board, 
and  dying  with  thirst.  "Very  well  done,  Mildmay," 
said  the  captain  ;  "  did  you  find  it  warm  ?  "  I  pointed  to 
my  mouth,  for  it  was  so  parched  that  I  could  not  speak, 
and  ran  to  the  water-cask,  where  I  drank  as  much  as 
would  have  floated  a  canoe.     The   first  thing  I   said,  as 

soon  as  I  could  speak,  was  "  D that  fire-ship,  and 

the  lubber  that  set  her  on  fire." 

The  next  morning  the  French  squadron  was  seen  in  a 
very  disastrous  state  ;  they  had  cut  their  cables,  and  run 
on  shore  in  every  direction,  with  the  exception  of  the  flag 
ships  of  the  admiral  and  rear-admiral,  which  lay  at  their 
anchors,  and  could  not  move  till  high  water ;  it  was  then 
first  quarter  flood,  so  that  they  had  five  good  hours  to 
remain.  I  refer  my  readers  to  the  court-martial  for  a 
history  of  these  events :  they  have  also  been  commented 
on,  with  more  or  less  severity,  by  contemporary  writers. 
I  shall  only  observe,  that  had  the  captains  of  His  Majesty's 
ships  been  left  to  their  own  judgment,  much  more  would 
have  been  attempted ;  but  with  what  success  I  do  not 
presume  to  say. 

My  captain,  as  soon  as  he  could  see  his  mark,  weighed, 
ran  in,  and  engaged  the  batteries,  while  he  also  directed 


The  Naval  Officer  149 

his  guns  at  the  bottoms  of  the  enemy's  ships,  as  they  lay 
on  shore  on  their  beam  ends.  Isle  d'Aix  gave  us  a  warm 
reception.  I  was  on  the  forecastle,  the  captain  of  which 
had  his  head  taken  clean  off,  by  a  cannon-ball ;  the  captain 
of  the  ship  coming  forward  at  the  same  moment,  only 
said,  "Poor  fellow!  throw  him  overboard;  there  is  no 
time  for  a  coroner's  inquest  now."  We  were  a  consider- 
able time  engaging  the  batteries,  and  the  vessels  near 
them,  without  receiving  any  assistance  from  our  ships. 

While  this  was  going  on,  a  very  curious  instance  of 
muscular  action  occurred :  a  lad  of  eighteen  years  of  age 
was  on  the  forecastle,  when  a  shot  cut  away  the  whole 
of  his  bowels,  which  were  scattered  over  another  midship- 
man and  myself,  and  nearly  blinded  us.  He  fell — and 
after  lying  a  few  seconds,  sprang  suddenly  on  his  feet, 
stared  us  horribly  in  the  face,  and  fell  down  dead.  The 
spine  had  not  been  divided ;  but  with  that  exception,  the 
lower  was  separated  from  the  upper  part  of  the  body. 

Some  of  our  vessels  seeing  us  so  warmly  engaged, 
began  to  move  up  to  our  assistance.  One  of  our  ships 
of  the  line  came  into  action  in  such  gallant  trim,  that  it 
was  glorious  to  behold.  She  was  a  beautiful  ship,  in 
what  we  call  "  high  kelter ;  "  she  seemed  a  living  body, 
conscious  of  her  own  superior  power  over  her  opponents, 
whose  shot  she  despised,  as  they  fell  thick  and  fast  about 
her,  while  she  deliberately  took  up  an  admirable  position 
for  battle.  And  having  furled  her  sails,  and  squared  her 
yards,  as  if  she  had  been  at  Spithead,  her  men  came  down 
from  aloft,  went  to  their  guns,  and  opened  such  a  fire  on 
the  enemy's  ships  and  batteries,  as  would  have  delighted 
the  great  Nelson  himself,  could  he  have  been  present. 
The  results  of  this  action  are  well  known,  and  do  not 
need  repeating  here  ;  it  was  one  of  the  winding-up  scenes 
of  the  war.  The  French,  slow  to  believe  their  naval  in- 
feriority, now  submitted  in  silence.  Our  navy  had  done 
its  work ;  and  from  that  time,  the  brunt  of  the  war  fell 
on  the  army. 

The  advocates  of  fatalism  or  predestination  might  adduce 


150  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

a  strong  illustration  of  their  doctrine  as  evinced  in  the 
death  of  the  captain  of  one  of  the  French  ships  destroyed. 
This  officer  had  been  taken  out  of  his  ship  by  one  of  the 
boats  of  our  frigate ;  but,  recollecting  that  he  had  left  on 
board  nautical  instruments  of  great  value,  he  requested 
our  captain  to  go  with  him  in  the  gig,  and  bring  them 
away  before  the  ship  was  burned.  They  did  go,  and 
the  boat  being  very  small,  they  sat  very  close  side  by  side, 
on  a  piece  of  board  not  much  more  than  two  feet  long, 
which,  for  want  of  proper  seats,  was  laid  across  the  stern 
of  the  boat.  One  of  the  French  ships  was  burning  at 
the  time;  her  guns  went  off  as  fast  as  the  fire  reached 
them ;  and  a  chance  shot  took  the  board  from  under  the 
two  captains:  the  English  captain  was  not  hurt;  but 
the  splinters  entered  the  body  of  the  French  captain, 
and  killed  him.  Late  in  the  evening,  the  other  French 
line-of-battle  ships  that  were  ashore  were  set  fire  to,  and 
a  splendid  illumination  they  made  :  we  were  close  to  them, 
and  the  splinters  and  fragments  of  wreck  fell  on  board  of  us. 
Among  our  killed,  was  a  Dutch  boatswain's  mate :  his 
wife  was  on  board,  and  the  stick  which  he  was  allowed  to 
carry  in  virtue  of  his  office,  he  very  frequently  applied  to 
the  shoulders  of  his  helpmate,  in  requital  for  certain 
instances  of  infidelity ;  nor,  with  all  my  respect  for  the  fair 
sex,  can  I  deny  that  the  punishment  was  generally  de- 
served. When  the  cannon-ball  had  deprived  her  of  her 
lawful  protector  and  the  guardian  of  her  honour,  she  sat 
by  the  side  of  his  mangled  remains,  making  many  unavail- 
ing efforts  to  weep  ;  a  tear  from  one  eye  coursed  down 
her  cheek,  and  was  lost  in  her  mouth  $.  one  from  the  other 
eye  started  at  the  same  time,  but  for  want  of  nourishment, 
halted  on  her  cheekbone,  where,  collecting  the  smoke  and 
gunpowder  which  surrounded  us,  it  formed  a  little  black 
peninsula  and  isthmus  on  her  face,  and  gave  to  her  heroic 
grief  a  truly  mourning  tear.  This  proof  of  conjugal 
affection  she  would  not  part  with  until  the  following  day, 
when  having  seen  the  last  sad  rites  paid  to  the  body  of 
her  faithful  Achilles,  she  washed  her  face,  and  resumed 


The  Naval  Officer  151 

her  smiles,  nor  was  she  ungrateful  to  the  ship's  company 
for  their  sympathy. 

We  were  ordered  up  to  Spithead  with  despatches,  and 
long  before  we  arrived,  she  had  made  the  sergeant  of 
marines  the  happiest  of  men,  under  a  promise  of  marriage 
at  Kingston  church,  before  we  sailed  on  our  next  cruise, 
which  promise  was  most  honourably  performed. 

A  midshipman's  vacancy  having  occurred  on  board  the 
frigate,  the  captain  offered  it  to  me.  I  gladly  accepted  of 
it ;  and  while  he  was  in  the  humour,  I  asked  him  for  a 
week's  leave  of  absence ;  this  he  also  granted,  adding,  at 
the  same  time,  "  No  more  French  leave,  if  you  please." 
I  need  not  say  that  not  an  hour  of  this  indulgence  was 
intended  either  for  my  father  or  even  the  dear  Emily.  No, 
Eugenia,  the  beloved,  in  her  interesting  condition,  claimed 

my  undivided  care.     I  flew  to  G ,  found  the  troop  ; 

but  she,  alas  !  had  left  it  a  fortnight  before,  and  had  gone 
no  one  knew  whither. 

Distracted  with  this  fatal  news,  I  sunk  into  a  chair 
almost  senseless,  when  one  of  the  actresses  brought  me  a 
letter :  I  knew  the  hand,  it  was  that  of  Eugenia.  Rush- 
ing into  an  empty  parlour,  I  broke  the  seal,  and  read  as 
follows : — 

"Believe  me,  my  dearest  Mildmay,  nothing  but  the 
most  urgent  necessity  could  induce  me  to  cause  you  the 
affliction  which  I  know  you  will  feel  on  reading  these 
lines.  Circumstances  have  occurred  since  we  parted,  that 
not  only  render  it  necessary  that  I  should  quit  you,  but 
also  that  we  should  not  meet  again  for  some  time;  and 
that  you  should  be  kept  in  ignorance  of  my  place  of  abode. 
Our  separation,  though  long,  will  not,  I  trust,  be  eternal ; 
but  years  may  elapse  before  we  meet  again.  The  sacrifice 
is  great  to  me  j  but  your  honour  and  prosperity  demand  it. 
I  have  the  same  ardent  love  towards  you  that  I  ever  had ; 
and  for  your  sake,  will  love  and  cherish  your  child.  I  am 
supported  in  this  my  trial,  by  a  hope  of  our  being  again 
united.     God  in  heaven  bless  you,  and  prosper  all  your 


152  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

undertakings.  Follow  up  your  profession.  I  shall  hear 
and  have  constant  intelligence  of  all  your  motions,  and 
I  shall  pray  to  heaven  to  spare  your  life  amidst  all  the 
dangers  that  your  courage  will  urge  you  to  encounter. 
Farewell !  and  forget  not  her  who  never  has  you  one 
moment  from  her  thoughts. 

"  Eugenia. 

"  P.S. — You  may  at  times  be  short  of  cash  ;  I  know  you 
are  very  thoughtless  in  that  respect.  A  letter  to  the  sub- 
joined address  will  always  be  attended  to,  and  enable  you 
to  command  whatever  may  be  necessary  for  your  comfort. 
Pride  might  induce  you  to  reject  this  offer  ;  but  remember 
it  is  Eugenia  that  offers  :  and  if  you  love  her  as  she  thinks 
you  do,  you  will  accept  it  from  her." 

Here  was  mystery  and  paradox  in  copious  confusion. 
"  Obliged  by  circumstances  to  leave  me — to  conceal  the 
place  of  her  retirement  " — yet  commanding  not  only 
pecuniary  resources  for  herself,  but  offering  me  any  sum 
I  might  require  !  I  retired  to  my  bed  j  but  sleep  forsook 
me,  nor  did  I  want  it.  I  had  too  much  to  think  of,  and  no 
clue  to  solve  my  doubts.  I  prayed  to  Heaven  for  her 
welfare,  vowed  eternal  constancy,  and  at  length  fell  asleep. 
The  next  morning  I  took  leave  of  my  quondam  associates, 
and  returned  to  Portsmouth,  neither  wishing  to  see  my 
father,  my  family,  or  even  the  sweet  Emily.  It  however 
occurred  to  me  that  the  same  agent  who  could  advance 
money  could  forward  a  letter;  and  a  letter  I  wrote,  ex- 
pressing all  I  felt.  No  answer  was  returned ;  but  as  the 
letter  never  came  back,  I  was  convinced  it  was  received, 
and  occasionally  sent  others,  the  contents  of  which  my 
readers  will,  no  doubt,  feel  obliged  to  me  for  suppressing, 
love-letters  being  of  all  things  in  the  world  the  most 
stupid,  except  to  the  parties  concerned. 

As  I  was  not  to  see  my  Eugenia,  I  was  delighted  to 
hear  that  we  were  again  to  be  sent  on  active  service.  The 
Scheldt  expedition  was  preparing,  and  our  frigate  was  to 


The  Naval  Officer 


S3 


be  in  the  advance  ;  but  our  gallant  and  favourite  captain 
was  not  to  go  with  us  ;  an  acting  captain  was  appointed,  and 
every  exertion  was  used  to  have  the  ship  ready.  The 
town  in  the  meantime  was  as  crowded  with  soldiers  as 
Spithead  and  the  harbour  was  with  transports.  Late  in 
July,  we  sailed,  having  two  gunboats  in  tow,  which  we 
were  ordered  to  man.  I  applied  for,  and  obtained  the 
command  of  one  of  them,  quite  certain  that  I  should  see 
more  service,  and  consequently  have  more  amusement, 
than  if  I  remained  on  board  the  frigate.  We  convoyed 
forty  or  fifty  transports,  containing  the  cavalry,  and 
brought  them  all  safe  to  an  anchor  off  Cadsand. 

The  weather  was  fine,  and  the  water  smooth ;  not  a 
moment  was  lost  in  disembarking  the  troops  and  horses ; 
and  I  do  not  recollect  ever  having  seen,  either  before  or 
since,  a  more  pleasing  sight.  The  men  were  first  sent  on 
shore  with  their  saddles  and  bridles  :  the  horses  were  then 
lowered  into  the  water  in  running  slings,  which  were 
slipped  clear  off  them  in  a  moment ;  and  as  soon  as  they 
found  themselves  free,  they  swam  away  for  the  shore, 
which  they  saluted  with  a  loud  neigh  as  soon  as  they 
landed.  In  the  space  of  a  quarter  of  a  mile  we  had  three 
or  four  hundred  horses  in  the  water,  all  swimming  for  the 
shore  at  the  same  time ;  while  their  anxious  riders  stood 
on  the  beach  waiting  their  arrival.  I  never  saw  so  novel 
or  picturesque  a  sight. 

I  found  the  gun-boat  service  very  hard.  We  were 
stationed  off  Batz,  and  obliged  to  be  constantly  on  the 
alert ;  but  when  Flushing  surrendered  we  had  more 
leisure,  and  we  employed  it  in  procuring  some  articles  for 
our  table,  to  which  we  had  been  too  long  strangers.  Our 
money  had  been  expended  in  the  purchase  of  champagne 
and  claret,  in  which  articles  we  were  no  economists, 
consequently  few  florins  could  be  spared  for  the  purchase 
of  poultry  and  butcher  meat ;  but  then  these  articles  were 
to  be  procured,  by  the  same  means  which  had  given  us 
the  island  of  Walcheren,  namely  powder  and  shot.  The 
country  people  were  very  churlish,  and  not  at  all  inclined 


154  Frank  Mildmay  ;  or, 

to  barter ;  and  as  we  had  nothing  to  give  in  exchange,  we 
avoided  useless  discussion.  Turkeys,  by  us  short-sighted 
mortals,  were  often  mistaken  for  pheasants ;  cocks  and 
hens,  for  partridges ;  tame  ducks  and  geese  for  wild ;  in 
short,  such  was  our  hurry  and  confusion — leaping  ditches, 
climbing  dykes,  and  fording  swamps — that  Buffon  himself 
would  never  have  known  the  difference  between  a  goose 
and  a  peacock.  Our  game-bags  were  as  capacious  as  our 
consciences,  and  our  aim  as  good  as  our  appetites. 

The  peasants  shut  all  their  poultry  up  in  their  barns, 
and  very  liberally  bestowed  all  their  curses  upon  us. 
Thus  all  our  supplies  were  cut  off,  and  foraging  became 
at  least  a  source  of  difficulty,  if  not  of  danger.  I  went  on 
shore  with  our  party,  put  a  bullet  into  my  fowling-piece, 
and,  as  I  thought,  shot  a  deer;  but  on  more  minute 
inspection,  it  proved  to  be  a  four  months'  calf.  This  was 
an  accident  that  might  have  happened  to  any  man.  The 
carcass  was  too  heavy  to  carry  home,  so  we  cut  it  in 
halves,  not  fore  and  aft  down  the  backbone,  as  your 
stupid  butchers  do,  but  made  a  short  cut  across  the  loins, 
a  far  more  compendious  and  portable  method  than  the 
other.  We  marched  off  with  the  hind  legs,  loins,  and 
kidney,  having  first  of  all  buried  the  head  and  shoulders 
in  the  field,  determined  to  call  and  take  it  away  the 
following  night. 

"We  were  partly  seen,  and  severely  scrutinized  in  our 
action  by  a  neighbouring  gun-boat,  whose  crew  were  no 
doubt  as  hungry  as  ourselves  ;  they  got  hold  of  one  of 
our  men,  who,  like  a  fool,  let  the  cat  out  of  the  bag,  when 
a  pint  of  grog  got  into  it.  The  fellow  hinted  where  the 
other  half  lay,  and  these  unprincipled  rascals  went  after  it, 
fully  resolved  to  appropriate  it  to  themselves  ;  but  they 
were  outwitted,  as  they  deserved  to  be  for  their  roguery. 
The  farmer  to  whom  the  calf  belonged  had  got  a  hint  of 
what  was  done,  and  finding  that  we  had  buried  one  half 
of  the  calf,  procured  a  party  of  soldiers  ready  to  take 
possession  of  us  when  we  should  come  to  fetch  it  away ; 
accordingly,  the  party  who  went  from  the  other  gun-boat 


The  Naval  Officer  155 

after  dark,  having  found  out  the  spot,  were  very  busy  dis- 
interring their  prey,  when  they  were  surprised,  taken 
prisoners,  and  marched  away  to  the  British  camp,  leaving 
the  dead  body  behind. 

We,  quite  unconscious  of  what  was  done,  came  soon 
after,  found  our  veal,  and  marched  off  with  it.  The 
prisoners  were  in  the  meantime  sent  on  board  the  flag 
ship,  with  the  charge  of  robbery  strongly  preferred  against 
them  ;  indeed,  flagrante  delicto  was  proved.  In  vain  they 
protested  that  they  were  not  the  slayers,  but  only  went  in 
search  of  what  others  had  killed  :  the  admiral,  who  was  a 
kind-hearted  man,  said,  that  that  was  a  very  good  story,  but 
desired  them  "  not  to  tell  lies  to  old  rogues,"  and  ordered 
them  all  under  arrest :  at  the  same  time  giving  directions 
for  a  most  rigid  scrutiny  into  the  larder  of  the  other  gun- 
boat, with  a  view,  if  possible,  to  discover  the  remains  of 
the  calf.  This  we  had  foreseen  would  happen,  so  we  put 
it  into  one  of  the  sailor's  bags,  and  sank  it  with  a  lead-line 
in  three  fathoms  water,  where  it  lay  till  the  inspection  was 
over,  when  we  dressed  it,  and  made  an  excellent  dinner, 
drinking  success  to  His  Majesty's  arms  by  land  and  sea. 

Whether  I  had  been  intemperate  in  food  or  libation  I 
know  not,  but  I  was  attacked  with  the  Walcheren  fever, 
and  was  sent  home  in  a  line-of-battle  ship  ;  and,  perhaps, 
as  Pangloss  says,  it  was  all  for  the  best;  for  I  knew 
I  could  not  have  left  off  my  inveterate  habits,  and  it  would 
have  been  very  inconvenient  to  me,  and  distressing  to  my 
friends,  to  have  ended  my  brilliant  career,  and  stopped 
these  memoirs,  at  the  beginning  of  the  second  and  most 
interesting  volume,  by  hanging  the  Author  up,  like  a 
scarecrow,  under  the  superintendence  of  the  rascally 
provost-marshal,  merely  for  catering  on  the  land  of  a 
Walcheren  farmer.  Moreover,  the  Dutch  were  unworthy 
of  liberty,  as  their  actions  proved,  to  begrudge  a  few 
fowls,  or  a  fillet  of  veal,  to  the  very  men  who  came  to 
rescue  them  from  bondage  ; — and  then  their  water,  too, 
who  ever  drank  such  stuff?  for  my  part,  I  never  tasted  it 
when   I   could   get   anything   better.     As  to  their  nasty 


156  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

swamps  and  fogs,  quite  good  enough  for  such  croaking 
fellows  as  they  are,  what  could  induce  an  Englishman  to 
live  among  them,  except  the  pleasure  of  killing  Frenchmen, 
or  shooting  game  ?  Deprive  us  of  these  pursuits,  which 
the  surrender  of  Flushing  effectually  did,  and  Walcheren, 
with  its  ophthalmia  and  its  agues,  was  no  longer  a  place 
for  a  gentleman.  Besides,  I  plainly  saw  that  if  there  ever 
had  been  any  intention  of  advancing  to  Antwerp,  the  time 
was  now  gone  by ;  and  as  the  French  were  laughing  at  us, 
and  I  never  liked  to  be  made  a  butt  of,  particularly  by  such 
chaps  as  these,  I  left  the  scene  of  our  sorrows  and  dis- 
graces without  regret. 

The  farewell  of  Voltaire  came  into  my  mind.  "  Adieu , 
Canaux,  Canardes,  et  Canaille?  which  might  be  rendered  into 
English  thus  : — "  Good-bye,  Dykes,  Ducks,  and  Dutch- 
men.'' So  I  returned  to  my  father's  house  to  be  nursed 
by  my  sister,  and  to  astonish  the  neighbours  with  the 
history  of  our  wonderful  achievements. 


Chapter   XII 

First  came  great  Neptune,  with  his  three-forkt  mace, 

That  rules  the  seas,  and  makes  them  rise  or  fall : 

His  dewy  locks  did  drop  with  brine  apace 

Under  his  diademe-imperiall : 

And  by  his  side  his  queene  with  coronall, 

Fair  Amphitrite 

These  marched  farre  afore  the  other  crew. 

Spenser. 

I  remained  no  longer  at  home  than  sufficed  to  restore  my 
strength,  after  the  serious  attack  of  fever  and  ague  which 
I  had  brought  with  me  from  Walcheren.  Although  my 
father  received  me  kindly,  he  had  not  forgotten  (at  least 
I  thought  so)  my  former  transgressions  j  a  mutual  dis- 
trust destroyed  that  intimacy  which  ought  ever  to  exist 
between  father  and  son.  The  thread  was  broken — it  is 
vain  to  enquire  how,  and  the  consequence  was,  that  the 


The  Naval  Officer  157 

day  of  my  departure  to  join  a  frigate  on  the  North 
American  station,  was  welcomed  with  joy  by  me,  and 
seen  unregretted  by  my  father. 

The  ship  I  was  about  to  join  was  commanded  by  a 
young  nobleman,  and  as  patricians  were  not  so  plentiful  in 
the  service  at  that  time,  as  they  have  since  become,  I  was 
considered  fortunate  in  my  appointment.  I  was  ordered, 
with  about  thirty  more  supernumerary  midshipmen,  to 
take  my  passage  in  a  ship  of  the  line,  going  to  Bermuda. 
The  gun-room  was  given  to  us  as  our  place  of  residence, 
the  midshipmen  belonging  to  the  ship  occupying  the 
two  snug  berths  in  the  cockpit. 

Among  so  many  young  men  of  different  habits  and  cir- 
cumstances, all  joining  the  ship  at  different  periods,  no 
combination  could  be  made  for  forming  a  mess.  The  ship 
sailed  soon  after  I  got  on  board,  and  our  party,  during 
the  voyage,  was  usually  supplied  from  the  purser's 
steward-room.  I  have  thought  it  very  wonderful,  that 
a  mess  of  eight  or  twelve  seamen  or  marines  will  always 
make  the  allowance  last  from  one  week  to  another,  and 
have  something  to  spare ;  but  with  the  same  number  of 
midshipmen  the  case  is  very  different,  and  the  larger  the 
mess  the  more  do  their  difficulties  increase ;  they  are 
never  satisfied,  never  have  enough,  and  if  the  purser  will 
allow  them,  are  always  in  debt  for  flour,  beef,  pork,  and 
spirits.  This  is  owing  to  their  natural  habits  of  careless- 
ness ;  and  our  mess,  for  this  reason,  was  particularly  un- 
comfortable. The  government  was  a  democracy ;  but 
the  caterer  had  at  times  been  invested  with  dictatorial 
powers,  which  he  either  abused  or  was  thought  to  abuse, 
and  he  was  accordingly  turned  out,  or  resigned  in  disgust, 
at  the  end  of  two  or  three  days. 

Most  of  my  messmates  were  young  men,  senior  to  me 
in  the  service,  having  passed  their  examinations,  and  were 
going  to  America  for  promotion :  but  when  mustered 
on  the  quarter-deck,  whether  they  appeared  less  manly, 
or  were,  in  fact,  less  expert  in  their  duty,  I  know  not ; 
but  certain  it  is,  that   the   first   lieutenant  appointed  me 


158  Frank  Mildmay  ;  or, 

mate  of  a  watch,  and  placed  several  of  these  aspirants 
under  my  orders  :  and  so  strong  did  we  muster,  that  we 
stood  in  each  other's  way  when  on  deck  keeping  our 
watch,  seldom  less  than  seventeen  or  eighteen  in  number. 

In  the  gun-room  we  agreed  very  ill  together,  and  one 
principal  cause  of  this  was  our  short  allowance  of  food — 
daily  skirmishes  took  place,  and  not  unfrequently  pitched 
battles ;  but  I  never  took  any  other  part  in  them  than  as  a 
spectator,  and  the  observations  I  made  convinced  me  that 
I  should  have  no  great  difficulty  in  mastering  the  whole 
of  them. 

The  office  of  caterer  was  one  of  neither  honour  nor 
emolument,  and  it  was  voluntarily  taken  up,  and  peevishly 
laid  down,  on  the  first  trifling  provocation.  With  the 
ship's  allowance,  no  being,  less  than  an  angel,  could  have 
given  satisfaction.  The  division  of  beef  and  pork  into 
as  many  parcels  as  there  were  claimants,  always  produced 
remonstrance,  reproof,  and  blows.  I  was  never  quarrel- 
some, and  took  the  part  allotted  to  me  quietly  enough, 
until,  they  finding  my  disposition  to  submit,  I  found  my 
portion  daily  decrease,  and  on  the  resignation  of  the 
thirteenth  caterer,  I  volunteered  my  services,  which  were 
gladly  accepted. 

Aware  of  the  danger  and  difficulty  of  my  situation,  I 
was  prepared  accordingly.  On  the  first  day  that  I  shared 
the  provisions,  I  took  very  good  care  of  number  one,  and, 
as  I  had  foreseen,  was  attacked  by  two  or  three  for  my 
lion-like  division  of  the  prey.  Upon  this,  I  made  them 
a  short  speech,  observing,  that  if  they  supposed  I  meant 
to  take  the  trouble  of  catering  for  nothing,  they  were 
very  much  mistaken  ;  that  the  small  difference  I  made 
between  their  portions  and  mine,  if  equally  divided  among 
them,  would  not  fill  a  hollow  tooth,  and  that,  after  my 
own  share,  all  others  should  be  distributed  with  the  most 
rigid  impartiality,  and  scrupulous  regard  to  justice. 

This  very  reasonable  speech  did  not  satisfy  them.  I 
was  challenged  to  decide  the  point  a  la  Cribb;  two  candi- 
dates for  the  honour  stepped  out  at  once.     I  desired  them 


The  Naval  Officer  159 

to  toss  up ;  and  having  soon  defeated  the  winner,  I  recom- 
mended him  to  return  to  his  seat.  The  next  man  came 
forward,  hoping  to  find  an  easy  victory,  after  the  fatigue 
of  a  recent  battle ;  but  he  was  mistaken,  and  retired  with 
severe  chastisement.  The  next  day  I  took  my  seat, 
cleared  for  action — coat,  waistcoat,  and  neckcloth  off.  I 
observed  that  I  should  proceed  as  I  had  done  before,  and 
was  ready  to  hold  a  court  of  Oyer  and  Terminer  ;  but  no 
suitors  appeared,  and  I  held  the  office  of  caterer  from  that 
day  till  I  quitted  the  ship,  by  the  strongest  of  all  possible 
claims — first,,  by  election ;  and,  secondly,  by  right  of 
conquest. 

We  had  not  been  many  days  at  sea,  before  we  dis- 
covered that  our  first  lieutenant  was  a  most  abominable 
tyrant,  a  brutal  fellow,  a  drunkard,  and  a  glutton,  with  a 
long  red  nose,  and  a  large  belly  ;  he  frequently  sent  half- 
a-dozen  grown-up  midshipmen  to  the  mast-head  at  a  time. 
This  man  I  determined  to  turn  out  of  the  ship,  and  men- 
tioned my  intention  to  my  messmates,  promising  them 
success  if  they  would  only  follow  my  advice.  They  quite 
laughed  at  the  idea  ;  but  I  was  firm,  and  told  them  that  it 
should  come  to  pass,  if  they  would  but  behave  so  ill  as 
just  to  incur  a  slight  punishment  or  reprimand  from 
"Nosey"  every  day;  this  they  agreed  to;  and  not  a  day 
passed  but  they  were  either  mast-headed,  or  put  watch 
and  watch. 

They  reported  all  to  me,  and  asked  my  advice.  "  Com- 
plain to  the  captain,"  said  I.  They  did,  and  were  told 
that  the  first  lieutenant  had  done  his  duty.  The  same 
causes  produced  the  same  effects  on  each  succeeding  day ; 
and  when  the  midshipmen  complained,  they  had  no  redress. 
By  my  direction,  they  observed  to  the  captain,  "  It  is  of 
no  use  complaining,  sir;  you  always  take  Mr  Clewline's 
piart."  The  captain,  indeed,  from  a  general  sense  of  pro- 
priety, gave  his  support  to  the  ward-room  officers,  know- 
ing that,  nine  times  in  ten,  midshipmen  were  in  the  wrong. 

Things  worked  as  I  wished ;  the  midshipmen  persisted 
in  behaving  ill — remonstrated,  and  declared  that  the  first 


160  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

lieutenant  did  not  tell  the  truth.  For  a  time,  many  of 
them  lost  the  favour  of  the  captain,  but  I  encouraged  them 
to  bear  that,  as  well  as  the  increased  rancour  of  "  Old 
Nosey."  One  day  two  midshipmen,  by  previous  agree- 
ment, began  to  fight  on  the  lee  gangway.  In  those  days, 
that  was  crime  enough  almost  to  have  hanged  them ;  they 
were  sent  to  the  mast-head  for  three  hours,  and  when  they 
came  down  applied  to  me  for  advice.  "  Go,"  said  I, 
"  and  complain.  If  the  first  lieutenant  says  you  were 
fighting,  tell  the  captain  you  were  only  showing  how  the 
first  lieutenant  pummelled  the  men  last  night  when  they 
were  hoisting  the  topsails,  and  the  way  he  cut  the  marine's 
head,  when  he  knocked  him  down  the  hatchway."  All 
this  was  fairly  done — the  midshipmen  received  a  reprimand, 
but  the  captain  began  to  think  there  might  be  some  cause 
for  these  continued  complaints,  which  daily  increased  both 
in  weight  and  number. 

At  last  we  were  enabled  to  give  the  coup  de  grace,  A 
wretched  boy  in  the  ship,  whose  dirty  habits  often  brought 
him  to  the  gun,  was  so  hardened  that  he  laughed  at  all 
the  stripes  of  the  boatswain's  cat  inflicted  on  him  by  the 
first  lieutenant.  "1  will  make  him  feel,"  said  the  enraged 
officer ;  so  ordering  a  bowl  of  brine  to  be  brought  to  him, 
he  sprinkled  it  on  the  lacerated  flesh  of  the  boy  between 
every  lash.  This  inhuman  act,  so  unbecoming  the  char- 
acter of  an  officer  and  a  gentleman,  we  all  resented,  and 
retiring  to  the  gun-room  in  a  body,  gave  three  deep  and 
heavy  groans  in  chorus.  The  effect  was  dismal ;  it  was 
heard  in  the  ward-room,  and  the  first  lieutenant  sent  down 
to  desire  we  should  be  quiet ;  on  which  we  immediately 
gave  three  more,  which  sent  him  in  a  rage  to  the  quarter- 
deck, where  we  were  all  summoned,  and  the  reason  of  the 
noise  demanded.  I  had,  till  then,  kept  myself  in  the  back- 
ground, content  with  being  the  primum  mobile,  without 
being  seen.  I  was  always  strict  to  my  duty,  and  never 
had  been  complained  of;  my  coming  forward,  therefore, 
on  this  occasion,  produced  a  fine  stage  effect,  and  carried 
great  weight. 


The  Naval  Officer  161 

I  told  the  lieutenant  we  were  groaning  for  the  poor  boy 
who  had  been  pickled.  This  increased  his  rage,  and  he 
ordered  me  up  to  the  mast-head.  I  refused  to  go  until  I 
had  seen  the  captain,  who  at  that  moment  made  his  appear- 
ance on  deck.  I  immediately  referred  to  him,  related  the 
whole  story,  not  omitting  to  mention  the  repeated  acts  of 
tyranny  which  the  lieutenant  had  perpetrated  on  us  all.  I 
saw  in  a  moment  that  we  had  gained  the  day.  The 
captain  had  given  the  most  positive  orders  that  no  one 
should  be  punished  without  his  express  permission.  This 
order  the  lieutenant  had  disobeyed,  and  that,  added  to  his 
unpopular  character,  decided  his  fate.  The  captain  walked 
into  his  cabin,  and  the  next  day  signified  to  the  first  lieu- 
tenant, that  he  must  quit  the  ship  on  her  arrival  in  port, 
or  be  tried  by  a  court-martial:  this  latter  he  knew  he 
dared  not  stand. 

I  should  have  informed  my  reader  that  our  orders  were 
to  see  the  East-India  convoy  as  far  as  the  tenth  degree  of 
north  latitude,  and  then  proceed  to  Bermuda.  This  was 
of  itself  a  pleasant  cruise,  and  gave  us  the  chance  of  falling 
in  either  with  an  enemy  or  a  recapture.  Ships  not  intending 
to  cross  the  line  usually  grant  a  saturnalia  to  the  crew 
when  they  come  to  the  tropic  of  Capricorn ;  it  is  thought 
to  renovate  their  spirits,  and  to  break  the  monotony  of 
the  cruise,  or  voyage,  where  time  flows  on  in  such  a 
smooth,  undeviating  routine,  that  one  day  is  not  dis- 
tinguishable from  another.  Our  captain,  a  young  man, 
and  a  perfect  gentleman,  never  refused  any  indulgence 
to  the  men,  compatible  with  discipline  and  the  safety  of 
the  ship  :  and  as  the  regular  trade-wind  blew,  there  was 
no  danger  of  sudden  squalls. — The  ceremony  of  crossing 
the  line,  I  am  aware,  has  been  often  described — so  has 
Italy  and  the  Rhine  ;  but  there  are  varieties  of  ways  of 
doing  and  relating  these  things ;  ours  had  its  singularity, 
and  ended,  I  am  sorry  to  say,  in  a  deep  tragedy,  which 
I  shall  remember  "  as  long  as  memory  holds  her  seat." 

One  beautiful  morning,  as  soon  as  the  people  had 
breakfasted,  they  began  to  prepare,  by  stripping  to  their 

M  L 


162  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

waists,  and  wearing  nothing  but  a  pair  of  duck  trousers. 
The  man  at  the  mast-head  called  out  that  he  saw  some- 
thing on  the  weather  bow,  which  he  thought  was  a  boat ; 
soon  after,  an  unknown  voice  from  the  jib-boom  hailed 
the  ship ;  the  officer  of  the  watch  answered ;  and  the 
voice  commanded  him  to  heave  to,  as  Neptune  was  coming 
on  board.  The  ship  was  accordingly  hove  to  with  every 
formality,  though  going  at  the  rate  of  seven  miles  an 
hour:  the  main-yard  squared,  the  head  and  after-yards 
braced  up. 

As  soon  as  the  ship  was  hove  to,  a  young  man  (one  of 
the  sailors)  dressed  in  a  smart  suit  of  black,  knee-breeches, 
and  buckles,  with  his  hair  powdered,  and  with  all  the  extra 
finery  and  mincing  gait  of  an  exquisite,  came  aft  on  the 
quarter-deck,  and,  with  a  most  polished  bow,  took  the 
liberty  of  introducing  himself  as  gentleman's  gentleman  to 
Mr  Neptune,  who  had  been  desired  to  precede  his  master 
and  acquaint  the  commander  of  the  vessel  with  his  intended 
visit. 

A  sail  had  been  extended  across  the  forecastle  by  way 
of  curtain,  and  from  behind  this,  Neptune  and  his  train, 
in  full  costume,  shortly  afterwards  came  forth. 

The  car  of  the  god  consisted  of  a  gun-carriage :  it  was 
drawn  by  six  black  men,  part  of  the  ship's  crew :  they 
were  tall  muscular  fellows,  their  heads  were  covered  with 
sea-weed,  and  they  wore  a  very  small  pair  of  cotton 
drawers :  in  other  respects  they  were  perfectly  naked  ; 
their  skins  were  spotted  all  over  with  red  and  white  paint 
alternately ;  they  had  conch  shells  in  their  hands,  with 
which  they  made  a  most  horrible  noise.  Neptune  was 
masked,  as  were  many  of  his  attendants,  and  none  of  the 
officers  knew  exactly  by  which  of  the  men  the  god  was 
represented ;  but  he  was  a  shrewd  hand,  and  did  his  part 
very  well.  He  wore  a  naval  crown,  made  by  the  ship's 
armourer ;  in  his  right  hand  he  held  a  trident,  on  the 
prongs  of  which  there  was  a  dolphin,  which  he  had,  he 
said,  struck  that  morning ;  he  wore  a  large  wig,  made  of 
oakum,  and  a  beard  of  the  same  materials,  which  flowed 


The  Naval  Officer  163 

down  to  his  waist ;  he  was  full  powdered,  and  his  naked 
body  was  bedaubed  with  paint. 

The  god  was  attended  by  a  splendid  court :  his  secretary 
of  state,  whose  head  was  stuck  full  of  the  quills  of  the 
sea  bird  of  these  latitudes ;  his  surgeon,  with  his  lancet, 
pill-box,  and  his  smelling-bottle  ;  his  barber,  with  a  razor, 
whose  blade  was  two  feet  long,  cut  off  an  iron  hoop  ; 
and  the  barber's  mate,  who  carried  a  small  tub,  as  a 
shaving-box;  the  materials  within  I  could  not  analyze, 
but  my  nose  convinced  me  that  no  part  of  them  came  from 
Smith's,  in  Bond-street. 

Amphitrite  followed,  on  a  similar  carriage,  drawn  by  six 
white  men,  whose  costume  was  like  the  others.  This 
goddess  was  personified  by  an  athletic,  ugly  man,  marked 
with  the  small-pox,  dressed  as  a  female,  with  a  woman's 
night-cap  on  his  head,  ornamented  with  sprigs  of  sea-weed  ; 
she  had  a  harpoon  in  her  hand,  on  which  was  fixed  an 
albicore ;  and  in  her  lap  lay  one  of  the  boys  of  the  ship, 
dressed  as  a  baby,  with  long  clothes  and  a  cap :  he  held 
in  his  hand  a  marlinspike,  which  was  suspended  round  his 
neck  with  a  rope  yarn :  this  was  to  assist  him  in  cutting 
his  teeth,  as  the  children  on  shore  use  a  coral.  His  nurse 
attended  him  with  a  bucket  full  of  burgoo,  or  hasty 
pudding,  with  which  she  occasionally  fed  him  out  of  the 
cook's  iron  ladle.  Two  or  three  stout  men  were  habited 
as  sea  nymphs,  to  attend  on  the  goddess :  they  carried  a 
looking-glass,  some  curry-combs,  a  birch-broom,  and  a  pot 
of  red  paint,  by  way  of  rouge. 

As  soon  as  the  procession  appeared  on  the  forecastle,  the 
captain,  attended  by  his  steward,  bearing  a  tray  with  a 
bottle  of  wine  and  some  glasses,  came  out  of  his  cabin,  and 
the  cars  of  the  marine  deities  were  drawn  up  on  the 
quarter-deck.  Neptune  lowered  his  trident,  and  presented 
the  dolphin  to  the  captain,  as  Amphitrite  did  her  albicore, 
in  token  of  submission  and  homage  to  the  representative  of 
the  King  of  Great  Britain. 

"  I  have  come,"  said  the  god,  "  to  welcome  you  into  my 
dominions,    and    to   present   my    wife    and  child."     The 


1 64  Frank  Mildmay  ;  or, 

captain  bowed.  "  Allow  me  to  ask  after  my  brother  and 
liege  sovereign,  the  good  old  King  George." 

"  He  is  not  so  well,"  said  the  captain,  "  as  I  and  all 
his  subjects  could  wish." 

"  More's  the  pity,"  replied  Neptune  j  "  and  how  is  the 
Prince  of  Wales  ?  " 

"  The  Prince  is  well,"  said  the  captain,  "  and  now 
governs  as  regent  in  the  name  of  his  royal  father." 

"  And  how  does  he  get  on  with  his  wife  ? "  said  the 
inquisitive  god. 

"  Bad  enough,"  said  the  captain  ;  "  they  agree  together 
like  a  whale  and  a  thrasher." 

"  Ah  !  I  thought  so,"  said  the  god  of  the  sea.  "  His 
royal  highness  should  take  a  leaf  out  of  my  book  :  never 
allow  it  to  be  doubtful  who  is  commanding  officer." 

"  And  pray  what  might  your  majesty's  specific  be,  to  cure 
a  bad  wife  ?  "  said  the  captain. 

"  Three  feet  of  the  cross-jack  brace  every  morning  before 
breakfast,  for  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  and  half  an  hour  on  a 
Sunday." 

"  But  why  more  on  a  Sunday  than  any  other  day  ?  " 
said  the  captain. 

"Why?"  said  Neptune,  "why,  because  she'd  been 
keeping  Saturday  night,  to  be  sure  ;  besides,  she  has  less 
to  do  of  a  Sunday,  and  more  time  to  think  of  her  sins,  and 
do  penance." 

"  But  you  would  not  have  a  prince  strike  a  lady,  surely  ?  " 

"  Wouldn't  I  ?  No  to  be  sure,  if  she  behave  herself  as 
slchi  on  no  account ;  but  if  she  gives  tongue,  and  won't  keep 
sober,  I'd  sarve  her  as  I  do  Amphy — don't  I,  Amphy  ?  " 
chucking  the  goddess  under  the  chin.  "  We  have  no  bad 
wives  in  the  bottom  of  the  sea  :  and  so  if  you  don't  know 
how  to  keep  'em  in  order,  send  them  to  us." 

"  But  your  majesty's  remedy  is  violent ;  we  should  have 
a  rebellion  in  England,  if  the  king  was  to  beat  his  wife." 

"  Make  the  lords  in  waiting  do  it  then,"  said  the 
surly  god  ;  "  and  if  they  are  too  lazy,  which  I  dare  say  they 
are,  send  for  a  boatswain's  mate  from  the  Royal  Billy — he'd 


The  Naval  Officer  165 

sarve  her  out,  I  warrant  you  ;  and,  for  half  a  gallon  of  rum, 
would  teach  the  yeomen  of  the  guard  to  dance  the  binnacle 
hornpipe  into  the  bargain." 

"  His  royal  highness  shall  certainly  hear  your  advice,  Mr 
Neptune  ;  but  whether  he  will  follow  it  or  not  is  not  for 
me  to  say.  Would  you  please  to  drink  his  royal  highness's 
good  health  ?  " 

"  With  all  my  heart,  sir ;  I  was  always  loyal  to  my  king, 
and  ready  to  drink  his  health,  and  to  fight  for  him." 

The  captain  presented  the  god  with  a  bumper  of  Madeira, 
and  another  to  the  goddess. 

"  Here's  a  good  health  and  a  long  life  to  our  gracious 
king  and  all  the  royal  family.  The  roads  are  unkimmon 
dusty,  and  we  hav'n't  wet  our  lips  since  we  left  St  Thomas 
on  the  line,  this  morning.  But  we  have  no  time  to  lose, 
captain,"  said  the  sea  god  ;  "  I  see  many  new  faces  here,  as 
requires  washing  and  shaving ;  and  if  we  add  bleeding  and 
physic,  they  will  be  all  the  better  for  it." 

The  captain  nodded  assent  •,  and  Neptune,  striking  the 
deck  with  the  end  of  his  trident,  commanded  attention,  and 
thus  addressed  his  court :  "  Heark  ye,  my  Tritons,  you  are 
called  here  to  shave,  duck,  and  physic  all  as  needs,  but  I 
command  you  to  be  gentle.  I'll  have  no  ill-usage  ;  if  we  gets 
a  bad  name,  we  gets  no  more  fees  ;  and  the  first  of  you  as 
disobeys  my  orders,  I'll  tie  him  to  a  ten-inch  mortar,  and 
sink  him  ten  thousand  fathoms  deep  in  the  ocean,  where 
he  shall  feed  on  salt  water  and  sea-weed  for  a  hundred 
years :  begone  to  your  work."  Twelve  constables,  with 
thick  sticks,  immediately  repaired  to  the  hatchway,  and  sent 
down  all  who  had  not  been  initiated,  guarding  them 
strictly,  until  they  were  called  up  one  by  one. 

The  cow-pen  had  been  previously  prepared  for  the 
bathing ;  it  was  lined  with  double  canvas,  and  boarded, 
so  that  it  held  water,  and  contained  about  four  butts, 
which  was  constantly  renewed  by  the  pump.  Many  of 
the  officers  purchased  exemption  from  shaving  and  physic 
by  a  bottle  of  rum  ;  but  none  could  escape  the  sprinkling 
of  salt  water,  which  fell  about  in  great  profusion;  even 


1 66  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

the  captain  received  his  share,  but  with  great  good-nature, 
and  seemed  to  enjoy  the  sport.  It  was  easy  to  perceive, 
on  this  occasion,  who  were  favourites  with  the  ship's 
company,  by  the  degree  of  severity  with  which  they  were 
treated.  The  tyro  was  seated  on  the  side  of  the  cow- 
pen  :  he  was  asked  the  place  of  his  nativity,  and  the 
moment  he  opened  his  mouth,  the  shaving-brush  of  the 
barber,  which  was  a  very  large  paint  brush,  was  crammed 
in  with  all  the  filthy  lather  with  which  they  covered  his 
face  and  chin  ;  this  was  roughly  scraped  off  with  the  great 
razor.  The  doctor  felt  his  pulse,  and  prescribed  a  pill, 
which  was  forced  into  his  cheek  ;  and  the  smelling-bottle, 
the  cork  of  which  was  armed  with  short  points  of  pins, 
was  so  forcibly  applied  to  his  nose  as  to  bring  blood ; 
after  this,  he  was  thrown  backwards  into  the  bath,  and 
allowed  to  scramble  out  the  best  way  he  could. 

The  master-at-arms,  and  ship's  corporals,  and  purser's 
steward,  were  severely  treated.  The  midshipmen  looked 
out  for  the  first  lieutenant  ;  but  he  kept  so  close  under 
the  wing  of  the  captain,  that  for  a  long  time  we  were 
unable  to  succeed.  At  length,  some  great  uproar  in  the 
waist  induced  him  to  run  down,  when  we  all  surrounded 
him,  and  plied  him  so  effectually  with  buckets  of  water, 
that  he  was  glad  to  run  down  the  after-hatchway,  and 
seek  shelter  in  the  gun-room  ;  as  he  ran  down,  we  threw 
the  buckets  after  him,  and  he  fell,  like  the  Roman  virgin, 
covered  with  the  shields  of  the  soldiers. 

The  purser  had  fortified  himself  in  his  cabin,  and 
with  his  sword  and  pistols,  vowed  vengeance  against  all 
intruders ;  but  the  middies  were  not  to  be  frightened 
with  swords  or  pistols  :  so  we  had  him  out,  and  gave 
him  a  sound  ducking,  because  he  had  refused  to  let  us 
have  more  spirits  than  our  allowance.  He  was  paraded 
to  the  main-deck  in  great  form,  his  sword  held  over  his 
head  ;  his  pistols,  in  a  bucket  of  water,  carried  before 
him ;  and  having  been  duly  shaved,  physicked,  and  soused 
into  the  cow-pen,  he  was  allowed  to  return  to  his  cabin,  like 
a  drowned  rat. 


The  Naval  Officer  167 

The  first  lieutenant  of  marines  was  a  great  bore ;  he 
was  always  annoying  us  with  his  German  flute.  Having 
no  ear  of  his  own,  he  had  no  mercy  on  ours,  so  we  handed 
him  to  the  bath ;  and  in  addition  to  all  the  other  luxuries 
of  the  day,  made  him  drink  half  a  pint  of  salt  water, 
which  we  poured  into  his  mouth  through  his  own  flute, 
as  a  funnel.  I  now  recollect  that  it  was  the  cries  of  the 
poor  marine  which  brought  down  the  first  lieutenant,  who 
ordered  us  to  desist,  and  we  served  him  as  hath  been  related. 

Thus  far  all  was  hilarity  and  mirth  ;  but  the  scene  was 
very  suddenly  changed.  One  of  the  foretopmen,  draw- 
ing water  in  the  chains,  fell  overboard  ;  the  alarm  was 
instantly  given,  and  the  ship  hove  to.  I  ran  upon  the 
poop,  and,  seeing  that  the  man  could  not  swim,  jumped 
overboard  to  save  him.  The  height  from  which  I  de- 
scended made  me  go  very  deep  in  the  water,  and  when 
I  arose  I  could  perceive  one  of  the  man's  hands.  I  swam 
towards  him ;  but,  O,  God  !  what  was  my  horror,  when 
I  found  myself  in  the  midst  of  his  blood.  I  comprehended 
in  a  moment  that  a  shark  had  taken  him,  and  expected 
that  every  instant  my  own  fate  would  be  like  his.  I 
wonder  I  had  not  sunk  with  fear  :  I  was  nearly  paralyzed. 
The  ship,  which  had  been  going  six  or  seven  miles  an 
hour,  was  at  some  distance,  and  I  gave  myself  up  for 
gone.  I  had  scarcely  the  power  of  reflection,  and  was 
overwhelmed  by  the  sudden,  awful,  and,  as  I  thought, 
certain  approach  of  death  in  its  most  horrible  shape.  In 
a  moment  I  recollected  myself:  and  I  believe  the  actions 
of  five  years  crowded  into  my  mind  in  as  many  minutes. 
I  prayed  most  fervently,  and  vowed  amendment,  if  it 
should  please  God  to  spare  me.  My  prayer  was  heard, 
and  I  believe  it  was  a  special  Providence  that  rescued  me 
from  the  jaws  of  the  fish.  I  was  nearly  a  mile  from  the 
ship  before  I  was  picked  up  ;  and  when  the  boat  came 
alongside  with  me,  three  large  sharks  were  under  the 
stern.  These  had  devoured  the  poor  sailor,  and,  fortun- 
ately for  me,  had  followed  the  ship  for  more  prey,  and  thus 
left  me  to  myself. 


1 68  Frank  Mildmay  ;  or, 

As  I  went  up  the  side,  I  was  received  by  the  captain 
and  officers  in  the  most  flattering  manner ;  the  captain 
thanked  me  in  the  presence  of  the  ship's  company  for 
my  praiseworthy  exertions,  and  I  was  gazed  on  by  all 
as  an  object  of  interest  and  admiration  ;  but  if  others 
thought  so  of  me,  I  thought  not  so  of  myself.  I  retired 
below  to  my  berth  with  a  loathing  and  contempt,  a  self- 
abasement,  which  I  cannot  describe.  I  felt  myself  un- 
worthy of  the  mercy  I  had  received.  The  disgraceful 
and  vicious  course  of  life  I  had  led,  burst  upon  me  with 
horrible  conviction.  "  Cce/o  tonantem  credidimus  Jovem 
regnare?  says  Horace ;  and  it  was  only  by  the  excitement 
of  such  peculiarly  horrid  situations,  that  the  sense  of  a 
superintending  power  could  be  awakened  within  me,  a 
hardened  and  incorrigible  sinner. 

I  changed  my  clothes,  and  was  glad  when  night  came, 
that  I  might  be  left  to  myself;  but  oh,  how  infinitely 
more  horrid  did  my  situation  appear  !  I  shuddered  when 
I  thought  of  what  I  had  gone  through,  and  I  made  the 
most  solemn  promises  of  a  new  life.  How  transient  were 
these  feelings  !  How  long  did  these  good  resolutions 
last  ?  Just  as  long  as  no  temptation  came  in  the  way  ;  as 
long  as  there  was  no  excitement  to  sin,  no  means  of  gratify- 
ing appetite.  My  good  intentions  were  traced  in  the  sand. 
I  was  very  soon  as  thoughtless  and  as  profane  as  ever, 
although  frequently  checked  by  the  remembrance  of  my 
providential  escape  ;  and  for  years  afterwards  the  thoughts 
of  the  shark  taking  me  by  the  leg  was  accompanied  by  the 
acknowledgment  that  the  devil  would  have  me  in  like 
manner,  if  I  did  not  amend. 

If  after  this  awakening  circumstance,  I  could  have  had 
the  good  fortune  to  have  met  with  sober-minded  and 
religious  people,  I  have  no  doubt  but  I  might  have  had  at 
this  time  much  less  to  answer  for  ;  but  that  not  being  the 
case,  the  force  of  habit  and  example  renewed  its  dominion 
over  me,  and  I  became  nearly  as  bad  as  ever. 

Our  amusements  in  the  gun-room  were  rough.  One  of 
them  was  to  lie  on  the  mess  table,  under  the  tiller,  and  to 


The  Naval  Officer  169 

hold  by  the  tiller  ropes  above,  while  we  kicked  at  all  who 
attempted  to  dislodge  us,  either  by  force  or  stratagem. 
Whoever  had  possession,  had  nine  points  of  the  law,  and 
could  easily  oppose  the  whole.  I  one  day  held  this  envied 
position,  and  kept  all  at  bay,  when,  unluckily,  one  of  the 
passed  midshipmen,  who  had  got  very  drunk  with  the 
gunner,  came  in  and  made  a  furious  attack  on  me.  I  gave 
him  a  kick  on  the  face,  that  sent  him  with  great  violence 
on  his  back,  among  the  plates  and  dishes,  which  had  been 
removed  from  the  dinner-table  and  placed  between  the 
guns.  Enraged,  as  much  at  the  laughter  against  him  as  at 
the  blow  he  had  received,  he  snatched  up  a  carving  fork, 
and,  before  any  one  was  aware  of  his  intention,  stabbed 
me  with  it  four  times.  I  jumped  up  to  punish  him,  but 
the  moment  I  got  on  my  legs  was  so  stiff,  that  I  fell  back 
into  the  arms  of  my  messmates. 

The  surgeon  examined  the  wounds,  which  were  serious; 
two  of  them  nearly  touched  an  artery.  I  was  put  to  bed 
sick,  and  was  three  weeks  confined  to  my  berth.  The 
midshipman  who  had  committed  this  outrage,  was  very 
penitent  when  sober,  and  implored  my  pardon  and  forgive- 
ness. Naturally  good-natured,  I  freely  forgave,  because 
I  was  disarmed  by  submission.  I  never  trampled  on  a 
prostrate  foe.  The  surgeon  reported  me  ill  of  a  fever, 
which  was  true ;  for  had  the  captain  known  the  real  fact, 
the  midshipman,  whose  commission  was  signed,  and  in  the 
ship,  ready  to  be  delivered  to  him  on  his  arrival  at 
Bermuda,  would  certainly  have  lost  his  promotion.  My 
kindness  to  him,  I  believe,  wounded  him  more  than  my 
resentment ;  he  became  exceedingly  melancholy  and 
thoughtful,  gave  up  drinking,  and  was  ever  after  greatly 
attached  to  me.  I  reckon  this  among  the  few  good  actions 
of  my  life,  and  own  I  have  great  pleasure  in  reflecting 
upon  it. 

We  arrived  at  Bermuda  soon  after,  having  left  the 
convoy  in  the  latitude  of  ten  degrees  north.  The  super- 
numeraries were  all  discharged  into  their  respective  ships  ; 
and  before  we  separated,  we  had  the  pleasure  to  see  the 


i  jo  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

first  lieutenant  take  his  passage  in  a  ship  bound  to  England. 
Most  sincerely  did  we  congratulate  ourselves  on  the  success 
of  our  intrigue. 

Chapter  XIII 

Where  the  remote  Bermudas  ride, 

In  th'  ocean's  bosom.  Andrew  Marveli, 

There  is  a  peculiar  kind  of  beauty  among  these  islands, 
which  we  might  really  believe  to  be  the  abode  of  fairies. 
They  consist  of  a  cluster  of  rocks,  formed  by  the 
zoophyte,  or  coral  worm.  The  number  of  the  islands  is 
said  to  be  equal  to  the  days  of  the  year.  They  are  covered 
with  a  short  green  sward,  dark  cedar  trees,  and  low  white 
houses,  which  have  a  pretty  and  pleasing  effect;  the 
harbours  are  numerous,  but  shallow ;  and  though  there 
are  many  channels  into  them,  there  is  but  one  for  large 
ships  into  the  principal  anchorage. 

Numerous  caverns,  whose  roofs  sparkle  with  the  spars 
and  stalactites  formed  by  the  dripping  water,  are  found 
in  every  part  of  the  islands.  They  contain  springs  of 
delicious  coolness,  to  quench  the  thirst,  or  to  bathe  in. 
The  sailors  have  a  notion  that  these  islands  float,  and  that 
the  crust  which  composes  them  is  so  thin  as  to  be  broken 
with  little  exertion.  One  man  being  confined  in  the  guard- 
house for  having  got  drunk  and  misbehaved,  stamped  on 
the  ground,  and  roared  to  the  guard,  "  Let  me  out,  or, 
d — n  your  eyes,  I'll  knock  a  hole  in  your  bottom,  scuttle 
your  island,  and  send  you  all  to  h —  together."  Rocks 
and  shoals  abound  in  almost  every  direction,  but  chiefly  on 
the  north  and  west  sides.  They  are,  however,  well 
known  to  the  native  pilots,  and  serve  as  a  safeguard  from 
nightly  surprise  or  invasion. 

Varieties  of  fish  are  found  here,  beautiful  to  the  eye 
and  delicious  to  the  taste :  of  these,  the  best  is  the  red 
grouper.  When  on  a  calm,  clear  day,  you  glide  among 
these  lovely  islands,  in  your  boat,  you  seem  to  be  sailing 


The  Naval  Officer  171 

over  a  submarine  flower-garden,  in  which  clumps  of  trees, 
shrubs,  flowers,  and  gravel  walks,  are  planted  in  wild,  but 
regular  confusion. 

My  chief  employment  was  afloat,  and  according  to  my 
usual  habit,  I  found  no  amusement  unless  it  was  attended 
with  danger ;  and  this  propensity  found  ample  gratification 
in  the  whale  fishery,  the  season  for  which  was  just  ap- 
proaching. The  ferocity  of  the  fish  in  these  southern 
latitudes  appears  to  be  increased,  both  from  the  heat  of 
the  climate  and  the  care  of  their  young,  for  which  reason 
it  would  seem  that  the  risk  in  taking  them  is  greater  than 
in  the  polar  seas. 

From  what  I  am  able  to  learn  of  the  natural  history  of 
the  whale,  she  brings  forth  her  young  seldom  more  than 
one  at  a  time  in  the  northern  regions,  after  which,  with  the 
calf  at  her  side,  the  mother  seeks  a  more  genial  climate,  to 
bring  it  to  maturity.  They  generally  reach  Bermuda 
about  the  middle  of  March,  where  they  remain  but  a  few 
weeks,  after  which  they  visit  the  West  India  Islands,  then 
bear  away  to  the  southward,  and  go  round  Cape  Horn, 
returning  to  the  polar  seas  by  the  Aleutian  Islands  and 
Behring's  Straits,  which  they  reach  in  the  following 
summer ;  when  the  young  whale,  having  acquired  size 
and  strength  in  the  southern  latitudes,  is  enabled  to  con- 
tend with  his  enemies  in  the  north,  and  here  also  the  dam 
meets  the  male  again.  From  my  own  experience  and 
the  inquiries  I  have  been  enabled  to  make,  I  am  tolerably 
certain  that  this  is  a  correct  statement  of  the  migration  of 
these  animals,  the  females  annually  making  the  tour  of  the 
two  great  American  continents,  attended  by  their  young. 

The  "  maternal  solicitude "  of  the  whale  makes  her 
a  dangerous  adversary,  and  many  serious  accidents  occur 
in  the  season  for  catching  whales.  On  one  occasion  I  had 
nearly  paid  with  my  life  for  the  gratification  of  my  curiosity. 
I  went  in  a  whale-boat  rowed  by  coloured  men,  natives  of 
the  islands,  who  were  very  daring  and  expert  in  this 
pursuit.  We  saw  a  whale,  with  her  calf,  playing  round 
the  coral  rocks  j  the  attention  which  the  dam  showed  to 


172  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

its  young,  the  care  she  took  to  warn  it  of  danger,  was 
truly  affecting.  She  led  it  away  from  the  boats,  swam 
round  it,  and  sometimes  she  would  embrace  it  with  her 
fins,  and  roll  over  with  it  in  the  waves.  We  contrived  to 
get  the  "'vantage  ground"  by  going  to  seaward  of  her, 
and  by  that  means  drove  her  into  shoal  water  among  the 
rocks.  At  last  we  came  so  near  the  young  one,  that  the 
harpooner  poised  his  weapon,  knowing  that  the  calf  once 
struck,  the  mother  was  our  own,  for  she  would  never 
desert  it.  Aware  of  the  danger  and  impending  fate  of  its 
inexperienced  offspring,  she  swam  rapidly  round  it,  in 
decreasing  circles,  evincing  the  utmost  uneasiness  and 
anxiety ;  but  the  parental  admonitions  were  unheeded,  and 
it  met  its  fate. 

The  boat  approached  the  side  of  the  younger  fish,  and 
the  harpooner  buried  his  tremendous  weapon  deep  in  the 
ribs.  The  moment  it  felt  the  wound,  the  poor  animal 
darted  from  us,  taking  out  a  hundred  fathom  of  line ;  but 
a  young  fish  is  soon  conquered  when  once  well  struck : 
such  was  the  case  in  this  instance;  it  was  no  sooner 
checked  with  the  line  than  it  turned  on  its  back,  and,  dis- 
playing its  white  belly  on  the  surface  of  the  water,  floated 
a  lifeless  corpse.  The  unhappy  parent,  with  an  instinct 
always  more  powerful  than  reason,  never  quitted  the 
body. 

We  hauled  in  upon  the  line,  and  came  close  up  to  our 
quarry  just  as  another  boat  had  fixed  a  harpoon  in  the 
mother.  The  tail  of  the  furious  animal  descended  with 
irresistible  force  upon  the  very  centre  of  our  boat,  cutting 
it  in  two,  and  killing  two  of  the  men ;  the  survivors  took 
to  swimming  for  their  lives  in  all  directions.  The  whale 
went  in  pursuit  of  the  third  boat,  but  was  checked  by  the 
line  from  the  one  that  had  struck  her  :  she  towed  them  at 
the  rate  of  ten  or  eleven  miles  an  hour  :  and  had  she  had 
deep  water,  would  have  taken  the  boat  down,  or  obliged 
them  to  cut  away  from  her. 

The  two  boats  were  so  much  employed  that  they  could 
not  come  to  our  assistance  for  some  time,  and  we  were 


The  Naval  Officer  173 

left  to  our  own  resources  much  longer  than  I  thought 
agreeable.  I  was  going  to  swim  to  the  calf  whale ;  but 
one  of  the  men  advised  me  not  to  do  so,  saying  that  the 
sharks  would  be  as  thick  about  him  as  the  lawyers  round 
Westminster  Hall ;  and  that  I  should  certainly  be  snapped 
up  if  I  went  near :  for  my  comfort  he  added,  "  These 
devils  seldom  touch  a  man  if  they  can  get  anything  else." 
This  might  be  very  true ;  but  I  must  confess  I  was  very 
glad  to  see  one  of  the  boats  come  to  our  assistance,  while 
the  mother  whale,  encumbered  with  the  heavy  harpoon 
and  line,  and  exhausted  with  the  fountain  of  black  blood 
which  she  threw  up,  drew  near  to  her  calf,  and  died  by 
its  side ;  evidently,  in  her  last  moments,  more  occupied 
with  the  preservation  of  her  young  than  of  herself. 

As  soon  as  she  turned  on  her  back,  I  had  reason  to 
thank  the  "Mudian"  for  his  good  advice;  there  were  at 
least  thirty  or  forty  sharks  assembled  round  the  carcasses ; 
and  as  we  towed  them  in,  they  followed.  When  we  had 
grounded  them  in  the  shallow  water,  close  to  the  beach, 
the  blubber  was  cut  orTj  after  which,  the  flesh  was  given 
to  the  black  people,  who  assembled  in  crowds,  and  cut 
off  with  their  knives  large  portions  of  the  meat.  The 
sharks  as  liberally  helped  themselves  with  their  teeth ; 
but  it  was  very  remarkable,  that  though  the  black  men 
often  came  between  them  and  the  whale,  they  never 
attacked  a  man.  This  was  a  singular  scene ;  the  blacks 
with  their  white  eyes  and  teeth,  hallooing,  laughing, 
screaming,  and  mixing  with  numerous  sharks — the  most 
ferocious  monsters  of  the  deep — yet  preserving  a  sort 
of  truce  during  the  presence  of  a  third  object :  it  re- 
minded me,  comparing  great  things  with  small,  of  the 
partition  of  Poland. 

I  found  that  there  was  neither  honour  nor  profit  for  me 
in  this  diversion,  so  I  no  more  went  a  whale  fishing,  but 
took  my  passage  to  Halifax,  in  a  schooner ;  one  of  those 
vessels  built  during  the  war,  in  imitation  of  the  Virginia 
pilot  boats  ;  but,  like  most  of  our  imitations,  about  as 
much  resembling  the  original  as  a  cow  is  like  a  hare,  and 


174  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

bearing  exactly  the  same  proportion  in  point  of  velocity. 
And  as  if  it  had  been  determined  that  these  vessels  should 
in  every  respect  disgrace  the  British  flag,  the  command 
of  them  was  conferred  on  officers  whose  conduct  would 
not  induce  captains  to  allow  them  to  serve  under  them, 
and  who  were  therefore  very  unwisely  sent  into  small 
vessels,  where  they  became  their  own  masters,  and  were 
many  of  them  constantly  drunk ;  such  was  the  state  of 
my  commander  from  the  time  I  sailed  until  we  reached 
Halifax.  The  example  of  the  lieutenant  was  followed  by 
his  mate,  and  three  midshipmen ;  the  crew,  which  consisted 
of  twenty-five  men,  were  kept  sober  by  being  confined  to 
their  allowance,  and  I  had  a  hopeful  prospect. 

Fortunately,  drinking  was  not  among  my  vices.  I  could 
get  "fresh,"  as  we  call  it,  when  in  good  company  and 
excited  by  wit  and  mirth  ;  but  I  never  went  to  the  length 
of  being  drunk ;  and,  as  I  advanced  in  years,  pride  and 
cunning  made  me  still  more  guarded.  I  perceived  the 
immense  advantage  which  sobriety  gave  me  over  a  drunk- 
ard, and  I  failed  not  to  profit  by  it. 

Keeping  constantly  on  deck,  almost  night  and  day,  I 
attended  to  the  course  of  the  vessel  and  the  sail  she 
carried,  never  taking  the  trouble  to  consult  the  lieutenant, 
who  was  generally  senseless  in  his  cabin.  We  made 
Sambro'  Lighthouse  (which  is  at  the  entrance  of  Halifax 
harbour)  in  the  evening,  and  one  of  the  midshipmen,  who 
was  more  than  half  drunk,  declared  himself  well  acquainted 
with  the  place,  and  his  ofFer  to  pilot  the  vessel  in  was 
accepted.  As  I  had  never  been  there  before,  I  could  be 
of  no  use  ;  but  being  extremely  doubtful  of  the  skill  of 
our  pilot,  I  watched  his  proceedings  with  some  anxiety. 

In  half  an  hour  we  found  ourselves  on  shore  on  Corn- 
wallis  Island,  as  I  afterwards  learned,  and  the  sea  made  a 
fair  breach  over  us.  This  sobered  the  lieutenant  and  his 
officers ;  and  as  the  tide  fell,  we  found  ourselves  high  and 
dry.  The  vessel  fell  over  on  her  side,  and  I  walked  on 
shore,  determined  to  trust  myself  no  more  with  such  a  set 
of  beasts.     Boats  came  down  from  the  dockyard  at  day- 


The  Naval  Officer  175 

light,  and  took  me  and  some  others  who  had  followed  my 
example,  together  with  our  luggage,  to  the  flag-ship. 
After  two  days'  hard  labour,  the  vessel  was  got  off,  and 
brought  into  the  harbour.  The  admiral  was  informed  of 
the  whole  transaction,  and  one  of  the  captains  advised 
him  to  try  the  lieutenant  by  a  court-martial,  or,  at  least, 
to  turn  him  out  of  the  vessel,  and  send  him  home.  Un- 
fortunately, he  would  not  follow  this  advice,  but  sent  him 
to  sea  again,  with  despatches.  It  was  known  that  all 
hands  were  drunk  on  quitting  the  port ;  and  the  vessel 
ran  upon  a  reef  of  rocks  called  the  Sisters,  where  she 
sank,  and  every  soul  perished.  Her  mast-heads  were 
seen  just  above  water  the  next  morning. 

The  frigate  I  was  to  join,  came  into  harbour  soon  after 
I  reached  Halifax.  This  I  was  sorry  for,  as  I  found 
myself  in  very  good  quarters.  I  had  letters  of  intro- 
duction to  the  best  families.  The  place  is  proverbial  for 
hospitality ;  and  the  society  of  the  young  ladies,  who  are 
both  virtuous  and  lovely,  tended  in  some  degree  to  reform 
and  polish  the  rough  and  libertine  manners  which  I  had 
contracted  in  my  career.  I  had  many  sweethearts ;  but 
they  were  more  like  Emily  than  Eugenia.  I  was  a  great 
flirt  among  them,  and  would  willingly  have  spent  more 
time  in  their  company ;  but  my  fate  or  fortune  was  to  be 
accomplished,  and  I  went  on  board  the  frigate,  where  I 
presented  my  introductory  letters  to  the  nobleman  who 
commanded  her.  I  expected  to  have  seen  an  effeminate 
young  man,  much  too  refined  to  learn  his  business ;  but  I 
was  mistaken.  Lord  Edward  was  a  sailor  every  inch  of 
him :  he  knew  a  ship  from  stem  to  stern,  understood  the 
characters  of  seamen,  and  gained  their  confidence.  He 
was,  besides,  a  good  mechanic — a  carpenter,  rope-maker, 
sail-maker,  and  cooper.  He  could  hand,  reef,  and  steer, 
knot  and  splice  ;  but  he  was  no  orator :  he  read  little,  and 
spoke  less.  He  was  a  man  of  no  show.  He  was  good- 
tempered,  honest,  and  unsophisticated,  with  a  large  pro- 
portion of  common  sense.  He  was  good-humoured  and 
free  with  his  officers  j  though,  if  offended  he  was  violent, 


176  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

but  soon  calm  again;  nor  could  you  ever  perceive  any 
assumption  of  consequence  from  his  title  of  nobility.  He 
was  pleased  with  my  expertness  in  practical  seamanship ; 
and  before  we  left  the  harbour,  I  became  a  great  favourite. 
This  I  took  care  to  improve,  as  I  liked  him  both  for 
himself  and  his  good  qualities,  independently  of  the  ad- 
vantages of  being  on  good  terms  with  the  captain. 

We  were  not  allowed  to  remain  long  in  this  paradise  of 
sailors,  being  ordered  suddenly  to  Quebec.  I  ran  round 
to  say  adieu  to  all  my  dear  Arcadian  friends.  A  tearful 
eye,  a  lock  of  hair,  a  hearty  shake  of  a  fair  hand,  were  all 
the  spoils  with  which  I  was  loaded  when  I  quitted  the 
shore,  and  I  cast  many  a  longing,  lingering  look  behind, 
as  the  ship  glided  out  of  the  harbour  ;  white  handkerchiefs 
were  waved  from  the  beach,  and  many  a  silent  prayer  put 
up  for  our  safe  return  from  snowy  bosoms  and  from  aching 
hearts.  I  dispensed  my  usual  quantum  of  vows  of  eternal 
love  and  fidelity  before  I  left  them,  and  my  departure  was 
marked  in  the  calendar  of  Halifax  as  a  black  day,  by  at 
least  seven  or  eight  pairs  of  blue  eyes. 

We  had  not  been  long  at  sea  before  we  spoke  an  Irish 
Guineaman  from  Belfast,  loaded  with  emigrants  for  the 
United  States :  I  think  about  seventeen  families.  These 
were  contraband.  Our  captain  had  some  twenty  thousand 
acres  on  the  island  of  St  John's,  or  Prince  Edward's,  as  it 
is  now  called,  a  grant  to  some  of  his  ancestors,  which  had 
been  bequeathed  to  him,  and  from  which  he  had  never 
received  one  shilling  of  rent,  for  the  very  best  reason  in 
the  world,  because  there  were  no  tenants  to  cultivate  the 
soil.  It  occurred  to  our  noble  captain,  that  this  was  the 
very  sort  of  cargo  he  wanted,  and  that  these  Irish  people 
would  make  good  clearers  of  his  land,  and  improve  his 
estate.  He  made  the  proposal  to  them,  and  as  they  saw 
no  chance  of  getting  to  the  United  States,  and  provided 
they  could  procure  nourishment  for  their  families,  it  was 
a  matter  of  indifference  to  them  where  they  colonised, 
the  proposal  was  accepted,  and  the  captain  obtained  per- 
mission of  the  admiral  to  accompany  them  to  the  island,  to 


The  Naval  Officer  177 

see  them  housed  and  settled.  Indeed,  nothing  could  have 
been  more  advantageous  for  all  parties  ;  they  increased  the 
scanty  population  of  our  own  colony,  instead  of  adding  to 
the  number  of  our  enemies.  We  sailed  again  from  Halifax 
a  few  hours  after  we  had  obtained  the  sanction  of  the 
admiral,  and,  passing  through  the  beautiful  passage  between 
Nova  Scotia  and  the  island  of  Cape  Breton,  known  by  the 
name  of  the  Gut  of  Canso,  we  soon  reached  Prince 
Edward's  Island. 

We  anchored  in  a  small  harbour  near  the  estate,  on 
which  we  found  a  man  residing  with  his  wife  and  family  ; 
this  fellow  called  himself  the  steward,  and  from  all  I  could 
see  of  him  during  our  three  weeks'  stay,  he  appeared  to 
me  to  be  rascal  enough  for  the  stewardship  of  any  noble- 
man's estate  in  England.  The  captain  landed,  and  took 
me  as  his  aide-de-camp.  A  bed  was  prepared  for  his 
lordship  in  the  steward's  house,  but  he  preferred  sleeping 
on  clean  hay  in  the  barn.  This  noble  lord  was  a  man 
whose  thoughts  seldom  gave  much  labour  to  his  tongue ; 
he  always  preferred  hearing  others  to  talking  himself ;  and 
whoever  was  his  companion,  he  must  always  be  at  the 
expense  of  the  conversation.  Nor  was  it  by  the  usual 
mode  of  simple  narrative,  that  his  mind  was  completely 
impressed  with  the  image  intended  to  be  presented  to  him ; 
he  required  three  different  versions,  or  paraphrases,  of  the 
same  story  or  observation,  and  to  these  he  had  three 
different  expletives  or  ejaculations.  These  were  hum  !  eh  ! 
and  ah  !  The  first  denoted  attention ;  the  second,  part  com- 
prehension ;  and  the  third,  assent  and  entire  approval ;  to  mark 
which  more  distinctly,  the  last  syllable  was  drawn  out  to  an 
immoderate  length,  and  accompanied  by  a  sort  of  half  laugh. 

I  shall  give  one  instance  of  our  colloquial  pastime.  His 
lordship,  after  we  had  each  taken  up  our  quarters  for  the 
night,  on  the  soft  dry  hay,  thus  began : 

"  I  say," — a  pause. 

"My  lord?" 

"What  would  they  say  in  England,  at  our  taking  up 
such  quarters  ? " 

M  M 


178  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

"  I  think,  my  lord,  that  as  far  as  regards  myseJf,  they 
would  say  nothing ;  but  as  far  as  regards  your  lordship, 
they  would  say  it  was  very  indifferent  accommodation  for  a 
nobleman." 

"  Hum  !  " 

This  I  knew  was  the  signal  for  a  new  version.  "  I  was 
observing,  my  lord,  that  a  person  of  your  rank,  taking  up 
his  quarters  in  a  barn,  would  excite  suspicion  among 
your  friends  in  England." 

"  Eh  ?  "  says  his  lordship. 

That  did  not  do — either  your  lordship's  head  or  mine 
is  very  thick,  thinks  I.  I'll  try  again,  though  dying  to 
go  to  sleep.  "  I  say,  my  lord,  if  the  people  in  England 
knew  what  a  good  sailor  you  are,  they  would  be  sur- 
prised at  nothing  you  did ;  but  those  who  know  nothing, 
wpuld  think  it  odd  that  you  should  be  contented  with 
such  quarters." 

"  Ah  !  "  said  his  lordship,  triumphantly. 

What  further  observations  he  was  pleased  to  make 
that  night  I  know  not,  for  I  fell  fast  asleep,  and  did  not 
awake  till  the  cocks  and  hens  began  to  fly  down  from  their 
roosts,  and  make  a  confounded  clamour  for  their  break- 
fasts, when  his  lordship  jumped  up,  gave  himself  a  good 
shake,  and  then  gave  me  another  of  a  different  sort :  it 
announced  the  purpose,  however,  of  restoring  me  to  that 
reason,  of  which  the  cackling  of  the  poultry  had  only 
produced  the  incipient  signs. 

"Come,   rouse  out,   you   d lazy   chap,"   said   my 

captain.  "  Do  you  mean  to  sleep  all  day  ?  we  have 
got  plenty  to  do." 

"  Ay,  ay,  my  lord,"  said  I.  So  up  I  jumped,  and  my 
toilet  was  completed  in  the  same  time,  and  by  the  same 
operation,  as  that  of  a  Newfoundland  dog,  namely,  a 
good  shake. 

A  large  party  of  the  ship's  company  came  on  shore 
with  the  carpenter,  bringing  with  them  every  implement 
useful  in  cutting  down  trees  and  building  log-houses. 
Such  was  to  be  our  occupation,  in  order  to  house  these 


The  Naval  Officer  179 

poor  emigrants.  Our  men  began  to  clear  a  patch  of  land, 
by  cutting  down  a  number  of  pine-trees,  the  almost  ex- 
clusive natives  of  the  wood,  and,  having  selected  a  spot 
for  the  foundation,  we  placed  four  stems  of  trees  in  a 
parallelogram,  having  a  deep  notch  in  each  end,  mutually 
to  fit  and  embrace  each  other.  When  the  walls,  by  this 
repeated  operation,  were  high  enough,  we  laid  on  the 
rafters,  and  covered  the  roof  with  boughs  of  the  fir,  and 
the  bark  of  the  birch-tree,  rilling  the  interstices  with  moss 
and  mud.  By  practice,  I  became  a  very  expert  engineer, 
and  with  the  assistance  of  thirty  or  forty  men,  I  could 
build  a  very  good  house  in  a  day. 

We  next  cleared,  by  burning  and  rooting  up,  as  much 
land  as  would  serve  to  sustain  the  little  colony  for  the 
ensuing  season ;  and  having  planted  a  crop  of  corn  and 
potatoes,  and  given  the  settlers  many  articles  useful  in 
their  new  abode,  we  left  them  agreeably  to  our  orders, 
and  to  my  great  joy  returned  to  dear  Halifax  where  I 
again  was  blessed  with  the  sight  of  my  innocent  harem. 
I  remember  well  that  I  received  a  severe  rebuke  from  the 
captain  for  inattention  to  signals.  One  was  addressed  to 
us  from  the  flag-ship  ;  I  was  signal  midshipman ;  but 
instead  of  directing  my  glass  towards  the  old  Centurion, 
it  was  levelled  at  a  certain  young  Calypso,  whose  fair 
form  I  discovered  wandering  along  the  "  gazon  Jleuris :" 
how  long  would  I  not  have  dwelt  in  this  happy  Arcadia, 
had  not  another  Mentor  pushed  me  off  the  rocks,  and 
sent  me  once  more  to  buffet  the  briny  waves  ! 

Contrary  to  the  opinion  of  any  rational  being,  the 
President  of  the  United  States  was  planning  a  war  against 
England,  and  every  ship  in  Halifax  harbour  was  preparing 
to  fight  the  Yankees.  The  squadron  sailed  in  September. 
I  bade  adieu  to  the  nymphs  of  Nova  Scotia  with  more 
indifference  than  became  me,  or  than  the  reception  I  had 
met  with  from  them  seemed  to  deserve ;  but  I  was  the 
same  selfish  and  ungrateful  being  as  ever.  I  cared  for 
no  one  but  my  own  dear  self,  and  as  long  as  I  was 
gratified,  it  mattered  little  to  me  how  many  broken  hearts 
I  left  behind. 


1 80  Frank  Mildmay  ;  or, 


Chapter  XIV 

At  once  the  winds  arise, 
The  thunders  roll,  the  forky  lightning  flies ; 
In  vain  the  master  issues  out  commands, 
In  vain  the  trembling  sailors  ply  their  hands: 
The  tempest  unforeseen  prevents  their  cave, 
And  from  the  first,  they  labour  in  despair. 

Dryden's  "  Fables." 

Halifax  is  a  charming,  hospitable  place :  its  name  is 
associated  with  so  many  pleasing  recollections,  that  it 
never  fails  to  extort  another  glass  from  the  bottle  which, 
having  been  gagged,  was  going  to  pass  the  night  in  the 
cellaret.  But  only  say  "  Halifax !  "  and  it  is  like  "  Open 
sesame  !  " — out  flies  the  cork,  and  down  goes  a  bumper 
to  the  "  health  of  all  good  lasses  !  " 

I  related,  in  the  last  chapter,  an  adventure  with  an 
Irish  Guineaman,  whose  cargo  my  right  honourable 
captain  converted  to  the  profitable  uses  of  himself  and 
his  country.  Another  of  these  vessels  had  been  fallen 
in  with  by  one  of  our  cruisers,  and  the  commander  of 
His  Majesty's  sloop,  the  Humming  Bird,  made  a  selection 
of  some  thirty  or  forty  stout  Hibernians  to  fill  up 
his  own  complement,  and  hand  over  the  surplus  to  the 
admiral. 

Short-sighted  mortals  we  all  are,  and  captains  of  men- 
of-war  are  not  exempted  from  this  human  imperfection ! 
How  much,  also,  drops  between  the  cup  and  the  lip  ! 
There  chanced  to  be  on  board  of  the  same  trader  two 
very  pretty  Irish  girls  of  the  better  sort  of  bourgeoisie; 
they  were  going  to  join  their  friends  at  Philadelphia : 
the  name  of  the  one  was  Judy,  and  of  the  other  Maria. 
No  sooner  were  the  poor  Irishmen  informed  of  their 
change  of  destination,  than  they  set  up  a  howl  loud 
enough  to  make  the  scaly  monsters  of  the  deep  seek 
their  dark  caverns.  They  rent  the  hearts  of  the  poor 
tender-hearted   girls ;    and   when   the    thorough   bass   of 


The  Naval  Officer  181 

the  males  was  joined  by  the  sopranos  and  trebles  of  the 
women  and  children,  it  would  have  made  Orpheus  him- 
self turn  round  and  gaze. 

"  Oh,  Miss  Judy  !  Oh,  Miss  Maria  !  would  ye  be  so 
cruel  as  to  see  us  poor  craturs  dragged  away  to  a  man- 
of-war,  and  not  for  to  go  and  spake  a  word  for  us  ?  A 
word  to  the  captain  wid  your  own  pretty  mouths,  no 
doubt  he  would  let  us  off." 

The  young  ladies,  though  doubting  the  powers  of  their 
own  fascinations,  resolved  to  make  the  experiment ;  so, 
begging  the  lieutenant  of  the  sloop  to  give  them  a  passage 
on  board,  to  speak  with  his  captain,  they  added  a  small 
matter  of  finery  to  their  dress,  and  skipped  into  the  boat 
like  a  couple  of  mountain  kids,  caring  neither  for  the 
exposure  of  legs  nor  the  spray  of  the  salt  water,  which, 
though  it  took  the  curls  out  of  their  hair,  added  a  bloom 
to  the  cheeks  which,  perhaps,  contributed  in  no  small 
degree  to  the  success  of  their  project. 

There  is  something  in  the  sight  of  a  petticoat  at  sea 
that  never  fails  to  put  a  man  into  a  good  humour,  provided 
he  be  rightly  constructed.  When  they  got  on  board  the 
Humming  Bird,  they  were  received  by  the  captain,  and 
handed  down  into  the  cabin,  where  some  refreshments 
were  immediately  prepared  for  them,  and  every  kind  at- 
tention shown  which  their  sex  and  beauty  could  demand. 
The  captain  was  one  of  the  best  natured  fellows  that  ever 
lived,  with  a  pair  of  little  sparkling  black  eyes  that  laughed 
in  your  face. 

"  And  pray,  young  ladies,"  said  he,  "  what  may  have 
procured  me  the  honour  of  this  visit  ?  " 

"It  was  to  beg  a  favour  of  your  honour,"  said  Judy. 

"  And  his  honour  will  grant  it,  too,"  said  Maria ;  "  for 
I  like  the  look  of  him." 

Flattered  by  this  little  shot  of  Maria's,  the  captain  said 
that  nothing  ever  gave  him  more  pleasure  than  to  oblige 
the  ladies  ;  and  if  the  favour  they  intended  to  ask  was 
not  utterly  incompatible  with  his  duty,  that  he  would 
grant  it. 


182  Frank  Mildmay ;  or, 

"Well  then,"  said  Maria,  "will  your  honour  give  me 
back  Pat  Flannagan,  that  you  have  pressed  just  now  ? " 

The  captain  shook  his  head. 

"  He's  no  sailor,  your  honour  ;  but  a  poor  bog-trotter  : 
and  he  will  never  do  you  any  good." 

The  captain  again  shook  his  head. 

"  Ask  me  anything  else,"  said  he,  "  and  I  will  give  it 
you." 

"Well  then,"  said  Maria,  "give  us  Felim  O'Shaugnessy  ? " 

The  captain  was  equally  inflexible. 

"  Come,  come,  your  honour,"  said  Judy,  "  we  must  not 
stand  upon  trifles  nowadays.  I'll  give  you  a  kiss,  if  you'll 
give  me  Pat  Flannagan." 

"  And  I  another,"  said  Maria,  "  for  Felim." 

The  captain  had  one  seated  on  each  side  of  him  ;  his 
head  turned  like  a  dog-vane  in  a  gale  of  wind  ;  he  did  not 
know  which  to  begin  with  ;  the  most  ineffable  good  humour 
danced  in  his  eyes,  and  the  ladies  saw  at  once  that  the  day 
was  their  own.  Such  is  the  power  of  beauty,  that  this 
lord  of  the  ocean  was  fain  to  strike  to  it.  Judy  laid  a 
kiss  on  his  right  cheek ;  Maria  matched  it  on  his  left ;  the 
captain  was  the  happiest  of  mortals. 

"  Well,  then,"  said  he,  "  you  have  your  wish  ;  take 
your  two  men,  for  I  am  in  a  hurry  to  make  sail." 

"  Is  it  sail  ye  are  after  making  ;  and  do  ye  mane  to  take 
all  those  pretty  craturs  away  wid  ye  ?  No,  faith  !  another 
kiss,  and  another  man." 

I  am  not  going  to  relate  how  many  kisses  these  lovely 
girls  bestowed  on  this  envied  captain.  If  such  are  captain's 
perquisites,  who  would  not  be  a  captain  ?  Suffice  it  to  say, 
they  released  the  whole  of  their  countrymen,  and  returned 
on  board  in  triumph.  The  story  reached  Halifax,  where  the 
good-humoured  admiral  only  said  he  was  sorry  he  was  not 
a  captain,  and  all  the  happy  society  made  themselves  very 
merry  with  it.  The  captain,  who  is  as  brave  as  he  is  good, 
was  promoted  soon  after,  entirely  from  his  own  intrinsic 
merit,  but  not  for  this  action,  in  which  candour  and  friendship 
must  acknowledge  he  was  defeated.     The  Lord-Chancellor 


The  Naval  Officer  183 

used  to  say,  he  always  laughed  at  the  settlement  of  pin- 
money,  as  ladies  were  either  kicked  out  of  it  or  kissed  out  of 
it ;  but  his  lordship,  in  the  whole  course  of  his  legal  practice, 
never  saw  a  captain  of  a  man-of-war  kissed  out  of  forty  men 
by  two  pretty  Irish  girls.  After  this,  who  would  not  shout, 
"  Erin  go  bragh  I  " 

Dashing  with  a  fine  breeze  out  of  the  harbour,  I  saw 
with  joy  the  field  of  fortune  open  to  me,  holding  out  a 
fair  promise  of  glory  and  riches.  "  Adieu  !  "  said  I,  in  my 
heart,  "  adieu,  ye  lovely  Nova  Scotians  !  learn  in  future  to 
distinguish  between  false  glitter  and  real  worth.  Me  ye 
prized  for  a  handsome  person  and  a  smooth  tongue,  while 
you  foolishly  rejected  men  of  ten  times  my  worth,  because 
they  wanted  the  outward  blandishments." 

We  were  ordered  to  Bermuda,  and  on  our  first  quitting 
the  port  steered  away  to  the  southward  with  a  fair  wind 
at  north-west.  This  breeze  soon  freshened  into  a  gale  at 
south-east,  and  blew  with  some  violence,  but  after  a  while 
it  died  away  to  a  perfect  calm,  leaving  a  heavy  swell,  in 
which  the  ship  rolled  incessantly.  About  eleven  o'clock 
the  sky  began  to  blacken ;  and,  before  noon,  had  assumed 
an  appearance  of  the  most  dismal  and  foreboding  darkness  ; 
the  sea-gulls  screamed  as  they  flew  distractedly  by,  warning 
us  to  prepare  for  the  approaching  hurricane,  whose 
symptoms  could  hardly  be  mistaken.  The  warning  was 
not  lost  upon  us,  most  of  our  sails  were  taken  in,  and  we 
had,  as  we  thought,  so  well  secured  everything,  as  to  bid 
defiance  to  the  storm.  About  noon  it  came  with  a  sudden 
and  terrific  violence  that  astonished  the  oldest  and  most 
experienced  seaman  among  us :  the  noise  it  made  was  hor- 
rible, and  its  ravages  inconceivable. 

The  wind  was  from  the  north-west — the  water  as  it  blew 
on  board,  and  all  over  us,  was  warm  as  milk ;  the  murkiness 
and  close  smell  of  the  air  was  in  a  short  time  dispelled  ;  but 
such  was  the  violence  of  the  wind,  that,  on  the  moment  of 
its  striking  the  ship,  she  lay  over  on  her  side  with  her  lee 
guns  under  water.  Every  article  that  could  move  was 
danced  to  leeward  ;  the  shot  flew  out  of  the  lockers,  and 


184  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

the  greatest  confusion  and  dismay  prevailed  below,  while 
above  deck  things  went  still  worse  ;  the  mizen-mast  and 
the  fore  and  main  topmast  went  over  the  side  ;  but  such 
was  the  noise  of  the  wind,  that  we  could  not  hear  them 
fall ;  nor  did  I,  who  was  standing  close  to  the  mizen-mast 
at  the  moment,  know  it  was  gone,  until  I  turned  round  and 
saw  the  stump  of  the  mast  snapped  in  two  like  a  carrot. 
The  noise  of  the  wind  "  waxed  louder  and  louder  ; "  it  was 
like  one  continued  peal  of  thunder  ;  and  the  enormous 
waves  as  they  rose  were  instantly  beheaded  by  its  fury, 
and  sent  in  foaming  spray  along  the  bosom  of  the  deep ; 
the  storm  stay-sails  flew  to  atoms  ;  the  captain,  officers,  and 
men,  stood  aghast,  looking  at  each  other,  and  waiting  the 
awful  event  in  utter  amazement. 

The  ship  lay  over  on  her  larboard  side  so  heavily  as  to 
force  in  the  gun  ports,  and  the  nettings  of  the  waist 
hammocks,  and  seemed  as  if  settling  bodily  down ;  while 
large  masses  of  water,  by  the  force  of  the  wind,  were 
whirled  up  into  the  air  ;  and  others  were  pouring  down  the 
hatchways,  which  we  had  not  had  time  to  batten  down,  and 
before  we  had  succeeded,  the  lower  deck  was  half  full,  and 
the  chests  and  hammocks  were  all  floating  about  in  dreadful 
disorder.  The  sheep,  cow,  pigs,  and  poultry,  were  all 
washed  overboard  out  of  the  waist  and  drowned  ;  no  voice 
could  be  heard,  and  no  orders  were  given  ;  all  discipline 
was  suspended  ;  every  man  was  equal  to  his  neighbour  ; 
captain  and  sweeper  clung  alike  to  the  same  rope  for 
security. 

The  carpenter  was  for  cutting  away  the  masts,  but  the 
captain  would  not  consent.  A  seaman  crawled  aft  on  the 
quarter-deck,  and  screaming  into  the  ear  of  the  captain, 
informed  him  that  one  of  the  anchors  had  broke  a-drift, 
and  was  hanging  by  the  cable  under  the  bows.  To  have 
let.it  remain  long  in  this  situation,  was  certain  destruction 
to  the  ship,  and  I  was  ordered  forward  to  see  it  cut  away ; 
but  so  much  had  the  gale  and  the  sea  increased  in  a  few 
minutes,  that  a  passage  to  the  forecastle  was  not  to  be 
found  :  on  the  weather  side,  the  wind  and  sea  were  so  violent 


The  Naval  Officer  185 

that  no  man  could  face  them.  I  was  blown  against  the 
boats,  and  with  difficulty  got  back  to  the  quarter-deck  ; 
and  going  over  to  leeward,  I  swam  along  the  gangway 
under  the  lee  of  the  boats,  and  delivered  the  orders,  which 
with  infinite  difficulty  at  last  were  executed. 

On  the  forecastle,  I  found  the  oldest  and  stoutest  seamen 
holding  on  by  the  weather  rigging,  and  crying  like 
children  :  I  was  surprised  at  this,  and  felt  proud  to  be 
above  such  weakness.  While  my  superiors  in  age  and 
experience  were  sinking  under  apprehension,  I  was  aware 
of  our  danger ;  and  saw  very  clearly,  that  if  the  frigate 
did  not  right  very  shortly,  it  would  be  all  over  with  us ; 
for  in  spite  of  our  precautions,  the  water  was  increasing 
below.  I  swam  back  to  the  quarter-deck,  where  the 
captain,  who  was  as  brave  a  man  as  ever  trod  a  plank, 
stood  at  the  wheel  with  three  of  the  best  seamen ;  but 
such  were  the  rude  shocks  which  the  rudder  received  from 
the  sea,  that  it  was  with  the  utmost  difficulty  they  could 
prevent  themselves  being  thrown  over  the  ship's  side. 
The  lee  quarter-deck  guns  were  under  water ;  but  it  was 
proposed  to  throw  them  overboard ;  and  as  it  was  a 
matter  of  life  and  death,  we  succeeded.  Still  she  lay  like 
a  log,  and  would  not  right,  and  settled  down  in  a  very 
alarming  manner.  The  violence  of  the  hurricane  was 
unabated,  and  the  general  feeling  seemed  to  be,  "  To 
prayers  ! — to  prayers  ! — all  lost !  " 

The  fore  and  main-masts  still  stood,  supporting  the 
weight  of  rigging  and  wreck  which  hung  to  them,  and 
which,  like  a  powerful  lever,  pressed  the  labouring  ship 
down  on  her  side.  To  disengage  this  enormous  top 
hamper,  was  to  us  an  object  more  to  be  desired  than 
expected.  Yet  the  case  was  desperate,  and  a  desperate 
effort  was  to  be  made,  or  in  half  an  hour  we  should  have 
been  past  praying  for,  except  by  a  Roman  Catholic  priest. 
T^he  danger  of  sending  a  man  aloft  was  so  imminent,  that 
the  captain  would  not  order  one  on  this  service ;  but 
calling  the  ship's  company  on  the  quarter-deck,  pointed  to 
the  impending  wreck,  and  by  signs  and  gestures,  and  hard 


186  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

bawling,  convinced  them  that  unless  the  ship  was  immedi- 
ately eased  of  her  burden,  she  must  go  down. 

At  this  moment  every  wave  seemed  to  make  a  deeper 
and  more  fatal  impression  on  her.  She  descended  rapidly 
in  the  hollows  of  the  sea,  and  rose  with  dull  and  exhausted 
motion,  as  if  she  felt  she  could  do  no  more.  She  was  worn 
out  in  the  contest,  and  about  to  surrender,  like  a  noble 
and  battered  fortress,  to  the  overwhelming  power  of  her 
enemies.  The  men  seemed  stupified  with  the  danger ; 
and  I  have  no  doubt,  could  they  have  got  at  the  spirits, 
would  have  made  themselves  drunk  ;  and  in  that  state, 
have  met  their  inevitable  fate.  At  every  lurch,  the  main- 
mast appeared  as  if  making  the  most  violent  efforts  to  dis- 
engage itself  from  the  ship :  the  weather  shrouds  became 
like  straight  bars  of  iron,  while  the  lee  shrouds  hung  over  in 
a  semi-circle  to  leeward,  or  with  the  weather-roll,  banged 
against  the  mast,  and  threatened  instant  destruction,  each 
moment,  from  the  convulsive  jerks.  We  expected  to  see 
the  mast  fall,  and  with  it  the  side  of  the  ship  to  be  beat  in. 
No  man  could  be  found  daring  enough,  at  the  captain's 
request,  to  venture  aloft,  and  cut  away  the  wreck  of  the 
main-top  mast,  and  the  main-yard,  which  was  hanging  up 
and  down,  with  the  weight  of  the  top-mast  and  top-sail 
yard  resting  upon  it.  There  was  a  dead  and  stupid  pause, 
while  the  hurricane,  if  any  thing,  increased  in  violence. 

I  confess  that  I  felt  gratified  at  this  acknowledgment  of 
a  danger  which  none  dare  face.  I  waited  a  few  seconds, 
to  see  if  a  volunteer  would  step  forward,  resolved,  if  he 
did,  that  I  would  be  his  enemy  for  life,  inasmuch  as  he 
would  have  robbed  me  of  the  gratification  of  my  darling 
passion — unbounded  pride.  Dangers,  in  common  with 
others,  I  had  often  faced,  and  been  the  first  to  encounter ; 
but  to  dare  that  which  a  gallant  and  hardy  crew  of  a 
frigate  had  declined,  was  a  climax  of  superiority  which  I 
had  never  dreamed  of  attaining.  Seizing  a  sharp  toma- 
hawk, I  made  signs  to  the  captain  that  I  would  attempt  to 
cut  away  the  wreck,  follow  me  who  dared.  I  mounted 
the  weather-rigging ;    five  or  six  hardy  seamen  followed 


The  Naval  Officer  187 

me ;  sailors  will  rarely  refuse  to  follow  where  they  find 
an  officer  to  lead  the  way. 

The  jerks  of  the  rigging  had  nearly  thrown  us  over- 
board, or  jammed  us  with  the  wreck.  "We  were  forced  to 
embrace  the  shrouds  with  arms  and  legs ;  and  anxiously, 
and  with  breathless  apprehension  for  our  lives,  did  the 
captain,  officers,  and  crew,  gaze  on  us  as  we  mounted, 
and  cheered  us  at  every  stroke  of  the  tomahawk.  The 
danger  seemed  passed  when  we  reached  the  catharpens, 
where  we  had  foot  room.  We  divided  our  work,  some 
took  the  lanyards  of  the  topmast  rigging,  I,  the  slings  of 
the  main-yard.  The  lusty  blows  we  dealt,  were  answered 
by  corresponding  crashes ;  and  at  length,  down  fell  the 
tremendous  wreck  over  the  larboard  gunwale.  The  ship 
felt  instant  relief  •,  she  righted,  and  we  descended  amidst 
the  cheers,  the  applauses,  the  congratulations,  and,  I  may 
add,  the  tears  of  gratitude,  of  most  of  our  shipmates. 
The  work  now  become  lighter,  the  gale  abated  every 
moment,  the  wreck  was  gradually  cleared  away,  and  we 
forgot  our  cares. 

This  was  the  proudest  moment  of  my  life,  and  no 
earthly  possession  would  I  have  taken  in  exchange  for 
what  I  felt  when  I  once  more  placed  my  foot  on  the 
quarter-deck.  The  approving  smile  of  the  captain — the 
hearty  shake  by  the  hand — the  praises  of  the  officers — the 
eager  gaze  of  the  ship's  company,  who  looked  on  me  with 
astonishment  and  obeyed  me  with  alacrity,  were  something 
in  my  mind,  when  abstractedly  considered,  but  nothing 
compared  to  the  inward  feeling  of  gratified  ambition,  a 
passion  so  intimately  interwoven  in  my  existence,  that  to 
have  eradicated  it,  the  whole  fabric  of  my  frame  must 
have  been  demolished.     I  felt  pride  justified. 

Hurricanes  are  rarely  of  long  continuance ;  this  was 
succeeded  by  a  gale,  which,  though  strong,  was  fine 
weather  compared  to  what  we  had  seen.  We  fell  to  work, 
rigged  our  jury-mast,  and  in  a  few  days  presented  our- 
selves to  the  welcome  gaze  of  the  town  of  Halifax,  which, 
having  felt  the  full  force  of  the  hurricane,  expressed  very 


1 88  Frank  Mildmay  ;  or, 

considerable  alarm  for  our  safety.  My  arms  and  legs  did 
not  recover  for  some  time  from  the  effects  of  the  bruises 
I  had  received  in  going  aloft,  and  for  some  days  I  remained 
on  board.  When  I  recovered  I  went  on  shore,  and  was 
kindly  and  affectionately  received  by  my  numerous  friends. 

I  had  not  been  long  at  Halifax,  before  a  sudden  change 
took  place  in  the  behaviour  of  my  captain  towards  me. 
The  cause  I  could  never  exactly  discover,  though  I  had 
given  myself  some  room  for  conjecture.  I  must  confess, 
with  sorrow,  that  notwithstanding  his  kindness  to  me  on 
every  occasion,  and  notwithstanding  my  high  respect  for 
him,  as  an  officer  and  a  gentleman,  I  had  raised  a  laugh 
against  him.  But  he  was  too  good-humoured  a  man  to  be 
offended  at  such  a  harmless  act  of  youthful  levity ;  and 
five  minutes  were  usually  the  limits  of  anger  with  this 
amiable  man,  on  such  occasions  as  I  am  about  to  relate. 

The  fact  was  this  ;  my  truly  noble  captain  sported  a 
remarkable  wide  pair  of  blue  trowsers.  Whether  he 
thought  it  sailor-like,  or  whether  his  tailor  was  afraid  of 
putting  his  lordship  to  short  allowance  of  cloth,  for  fear 
of  phlogistic  consequences,  I  know  not ;  but  broad  as 
was  the  beam  of  his  lordship,  still  broader  and  more 
ample  in  proportion  were  the  folds  of  this  essential  part 
of  his  drapery,  quite  enough  to  have  embraced  twice  the 
volume  of  human  flesh  contained  within  them,  large  as 
it  undoubtedly  was. 

That  "  a  stitch  in  time  saves  nine,"  is  a  wise  saw  ;  un- 
happily, like  many  others  of  the  same  thrifty  kind,  but 
little  heeded  in  this  our  day.  So  it  was  with  Lord  Edward. 
A  rent  had,  by  some  mischance  been  made  in  the  central 
seam,  and,  on  the  morning  of  the  hurricane,  was  still 
unmended.  When  the  gale  came,  it  sought  a  quarrel 
with  any  thing  it  could  lay  hold  of,  and  the  harmless 
trowsers  of  Lord  Edward  became  subject  to  its  mighty 
and  resistless  devastation ;  the  blustering  Boreas  entered 
by  the  seam  aforesaid,  and  filled  the  trowsers  like  the 
cheeks  of  a  trumpeter.  Yorkshire  wool  could  not  stand 
the   inflated    pressure — the    dress    split    to    ribbons,    and 


The  Naval  Officer  189 

soundly  flagellated  the  very  part  it  was  intended  to  con- 
ceal. What  could  he  do,  '■  in  sweet  confusion  lost  and 
dubious  fluttering*" — the  only  defence  left  against  the 
rude  blast,  was  his  shirt  (for  the  weather  was  so  warm 
that  second  garments  were  dispensed  with),  and  this  too 
being  old,  fled  in  tatters  before  the  gale.  In  short,  clap 
a  sailor's  jacket  on  the  Gladiator  in  Hyde-park,  and  you 
have  a  fair  view  of  Lord  Edward  in  the  hurricane. 

The  case  was  inconvenient  enough ;  but  as  the  ship  was 
in  distress,  and  we  all  expected  to  go  to  the  bottom  in 
half  an  hour,  it  was  not  worth  while  to  quit  the  deck 
to  replace  the  dress,  which  would  have  availed  him 
nothing  in  the  depths  of  the  sea,  particularly  as  we  were 
not  likely  to  meet  with  any  ladies  there ;  nor  if  there  had 
been  any,  was  it  a  matter  of  any  moment  whether  we 
went  to  Davy's  Locker  with  or  without  breeches ;  but 
when  the  danger  was  passed,  the  joke  began  to  appear, 
and  I  was  amusing  a  large  company  with  the  tale  when 
his  lordship  came  in.  The  titter  of  the  ladies  increased 
to  a  giggle,  and  then,  by  regular  gradation,  to  a  loud 
and  uncontrollable  laugh.  He  very  soon  discovered  that 
he  was  the  subject,  and  I  the  cause,  and  for  a  minute  or 
two  seemed  sulky ;  but  it  soon  went  off,  and  I  cannot 
think  this  was  the  reason  of  his  change  of  sentiments  ;  for, 
although  it  is  high  treason  in  a  midshipman  to  look  black 
at  the  captain's  dog,  much  less  to  laugh  at  the  captain 
under  any  circumstances,  still  I  knew  that  my  captain 
was  too  good  a  fellow  to  be  offended  with  such  a  trifle. 
I  rather  suspect  I  was  wished  out  of  the  ship  by  the  first 
lieutenant  and  gun-room  officers ;  and  they  were  right, 
for  where  an  inferior  officer  is  popular  with  the  men, 
discipline  must  suffer  from  it.  I  received  a  good-natured 
hint  from  Lord  Edward,  that  another  captain,  in  a  larger 
frigate,  would  be  happy  to  receive  me.  I  understood 
him  j  we  parted  good  friends,  and  I  shall  ever  think  of 
him  with  respect  and  gratitude. 

My  new  captain  was  a  very  different  sort  of  man, 
refined  in  his  manner,  a  scholar  and  a  gentleman.     Kind 


190  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

and  friendly  with  his  officers,  his  library  was  at  their 
disposal;  the  fore-cabin,  where  his  books  were  usually 
kept,  was  open  to  all;  it  was  the  school-room  of  the 
young  midshipmen,  and  the  study  of  the  old  ones.  He 
was  an  excellent  draughtsman,  and  I  profited  not  a  little 
by  his  instructions ;  he  loved  the  society  of  the  ladies, 
so  did  I;  but  he  being  a  married  man  was  more  select 
in  his  company,  and  more  correct  in  his  conduct  than  I 
could  pretend  to  be. 

We  were  ordered  to  Quebec,  sailed  through  the 
beautiful  Gut  of  Canso,  and  up  the  spacious  and  majestic 
St  Lawrence,  passing  in  sight  of  the  Island  of  Anticosta. 
Nothing  material  occurred  during  the  passage,  save  that 
a  Scotch  surgeon's-assistant,  having  adopted  certain  aris- 
tocratic notions,  required  a  democratical  lecture  on  heads, 
which  was  duly  administered  to  him.  He  pretended  that 
he  was,  by  birth  and  education  (at  Edinburgh),  entitled 
to  be  at  the  head  of  our  mess.  This  I  resisted,  and  soon 
taught  the  ambitious  son  of  Esculapius  that  the  science 
of  defence  was  as  important  as  the  art  of  healing ;  and 
that  if  he  was  skilful  in  this  latter,  I  would  give  him  an 
opportunity  of  employing  it  on  his  own  person:  where- 
upon I  implanted  on  his  cinciput,  occiput,  os  frontis,  os 
nasi,  and  all  other  vulnerable  parts  of  his  body,  certain 
concussions  calculated  to  stupify  and  benumb  the  cen- 
sorium,  and  to  produce  under  each  eye  a  quantity  of  black 
extravasated  blood;  while,  at  the  same  time,  a  copious 
stream  of  carmine  fluid  issued  from  either  nostril.  It  was 
never  my  habit  to  bully  or  take  any  unfair  advantage  ;  so, 
having  perceived  a  cessation  of  arms  on  his  part,  I  put  the 
usual  interrogatives  as  to  whether  the  party  contending 
was  satisfied ;  and  being  answered  in  the  affirmative,  I 
laid  by  my  metacarpal  bones  until  they  might  be  farther 
wanted,  either  for  reproof  or  correction. 

We  anchored  off  Cape  Diamond,  which  divides  the  St 
Lawrence  from  the  little  river  St  Charles.  The  continua- 
tion of  this  cape,  as  it  recedes,  forms  the  Heights  of 
Abraham,  on  which  the  immortal  Wolfe  defeated  Mont- 


The  Naval  Officer  191 

calm,  in  the  year  1759,  when  both  the  generals  ended 
their  glorious  career  on  the  field  of  battle.  The  city 
stands  on  the  extremity  of  the  cape,  and  has  a  very 
romantic  appearance.  The  houses  and  churches  are 
generally  covered  with  tin,  to  prevent  conflagration,  to 
which  this  place  was  remarkably  subject  when  the  houses 
were  covered  with  thatch  or  shingle.  When  the  rays  of 
the  sun  lay  on  the  buildings,  they  had  the  appearance  of 
being  cased  in  silver. 

One  of  our  objects  in  going  to  Quebec  was  to  procure 
men,  of  which  the  squadron  was  very  deficient.  Our 
seamen  and  marines  were  secretly  and  suddenly  formed 
into  press-gangs.  The  command  of  one  of  them  was 
conferred  on  me.  The  officers  and  marines  went  on  shore 
in  disguise,  having  agreed  on  private  signals  and  places 
of  rendezvous ;  while  the  seamen  on  whom  we  could 
depend,  acted  as  decoy  ducks,  pretending  to  belong  to 
merchant  vessels,  of  which  their  officer  was  the  master, 
and  inducing  them  to  engage,  for  ten  gallons  of  rum  and 
three  hundred  dollars,  to  take  the  run  home.  Many 
were  procured  in  this  manner,  and  were  not  undeceived 
until  they  found  themselves  alongside  of  the  frigate, 
when  their  oaths  and  execrations  may  be  better  conceived 
than  described  or  repeated. 

It  may  be  proper  to  explain  here  that  the  vessels  em- 
ployed in  the  timber  trade  arrive  in  the  month  of  June, 
as  soon  as  the  ice  is  clear  of  the  river,  and,  if  they  do  not 
sail  by  or  before  the  end  of  October,  are  usually  set  fast 
in  the  ice,  and  forced  to  winter  in  the  St  Lawrence,  losing 
their  voyage,  and  lying  seven  or  eight  months  idle. 
Aware  of  this,  the  sailors,  as  soon  as  they  arrive,  desert, 
and  are  secreted  and  fed  by  the  crimps,  who  make  their 
market  of  them  in  the  fall  of  the  year  by  selling  them  to 
the  captains  •  procuring  for  the  men  an  exorbitant  sum 
for  the  voyage  home,  and  for  themselves  a  handsome 
douceur  for  their  trouble,  both  from  the  captain  and  the 
sailor. 

We  were  desired  not  to  take  men  out  of  the  merchant 


192  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

vessels,  but  to  search  for  them  in  the  houses  of  the 
crimps.  This  was  to  us  a  source  of  great  amusement 
and  singular  adventure  ;  for  the  ingenuity  in  concealing 
them  was  only  equalled  by  the  art  and  cunning  exercised 
in  the  discovery  of  their  abodes.  Cellars  and  lofts  were 
stale  and  out  of  use ;  we  found  more  game  in  the  interior 
of  haystacks,  church  steeples,  closets  under  fire-places 
where  the  fire  was  burning.  Some  we  found  headed 
up  in  sugar-hogsheads,  and  some  concealed  within  bundles 
of  hoop-staves.  Sometimes  we  found  seamen,  dressed 
as  gentlemen,  drinking  wine  and  talking  with  the  greatest 
familiarity  with  people  much  above  them  in  rank,  who 
had  used  these  means  to  conceal  them.  Our  information 
led  us  to  detect  these  excusable  impositions. 

I  went  into  the  country,  about  fifteen  miles  from 
Quebec,  where  I  had  heard  of  a  crimp's  preserve,  and 
after  a  tedious  search,  discovered  some  good  seamen  on 
the  rafters  of  an  outhouse  intended  only  to  smoke  and 
cure  bacon ;  and  as  the  fires  were  lighted,  and  the  smoke 
ascending,  it  was  difficult  to  conceive  a  human  being 
could  exist  there :  nor  should  we  have  discovered  them 
if  one  of  them  had  not  coughed ;  on  which  he  received 
the  execrations  of  the  others,  and  the  whole  party  was 
instantly  handed  out.  We  immediately  cut  the  strings 
of  their  trowsers  behind,  to  prevent  their  running  away, 
(this  ought  never  to  be  omitted),  and,  placing  them  and 
ourselves  in  the  farmer's  waggon,  made  him  put  his  team 
to  and  drive  us  all  to  Quebec,  the  new-raised  men  joining 
with  our  own  in  all  the  jokes  which  flew  thick  about  on 
the  occasion  of  their  discovery.  It  was  astonishing  to 
me  how  easily  these  fine  fellows  reconciled  themselves 
to  the  thoughts  of  a  man-of-war ;  perhaps  the  approach- 
ing row  with  the  Yankees  tended  very  much  to  preserve 
good  humour.  I  became  an  enthusiast  in  man-hunting, 
although  sober  reflection  has  since  convinced  me  of  its 
cruelty,  injustice,  and  inexpediency,  tending  to  drive  sea- 
men from  the  country  more  than  any  measure  the  govern- 
ment could  adopt ;  but  I  am  not  going  to  write  a  treatise 


The  Naval  Officer  193 

on  impressment.  I  cared  not  one  farthing  about  the 
liberty  of  the  subject,  as  long  as  I  got  my  ship  well 
manned  for  the  impending  conflict ;  and  as  I  gratified  my 
love  of  adventure,  I  was  as  thoughtless  of  the  conse- 
quences as  when  I  rode  over  a  farmer's  turnips  in  Eng- 
land, or  broke  through  his  hedges  in  pursuit  of  a  fox. 

A  tradesman  at  Quebec  had  affronted  me,  by  refusing 
to  discount  a  bill  which  I  had  drawn  on  my  father.  I 
had  no  other  means  of  paying  him  for  the  goods  I  had 
purchased  of  him,  and  was  much  disconcerted  at  his 
refusal,  which  he  accompanied  with  an  insult  to  myself 
and  my  cloth,  never  to  be  forgotten.  Turning  the  paper 
over  and  over,  he  said,  "  a  midshipman's  bill  is  not  worth 
a  farthing,  and  I  am  too  old  a  bird  to  be  caught  with 
such  chaff." 

Conscious  that  the  bill  was  good,  I  vowed  revenge. 
My  search-warrant  enabled  me  to  go  wherever  I  could  get 
information  of  men  being  concealed  —  this  was  easily 
obtained  from  a  brother  mid  (the  poor  man  might  as  well 
have  been  in  the  hands  of  the  holy  brotherhood).  My 
companion  stated  his  firm  conviction  that  sailors  were 
concealed  in  the  house ;  I  applied  to  the  captain,  and 
received  orders  to  proceed  by  all  means  in  execution  of 
my  duty.  The  tradesman  was  a  man  of  consequence  in 
Quebec,  being  what  is  there  called  a  large  storekeeper, 
though  we  in  England  should  have  called  him  a  shop- 
keeper. About  one  o'clock  in  the  morning  we  hammered 
at  his  door  with  no  gentle  tap,  demanding  admittance  in 
the  name  of  our  sovereign  lord  the  king.  We  were 
refused,  and  forthwith  broke  open  the  door,  and  spread 
over  his  house  like  a  nest  of  cockroaches.  Cellars,  garrets, 
maids'  room,  ladies'  rooms,  we  entered,  sans  ceremonie;  paid 
little  regard  to  the  Medicean  costume  of  the  fair  occupants  ; 
broke  some  of  the  most  indispensable  articles  of  bedroom 
furniture  ;  rattled  the  pots  and  pans  about  in  the  kitchen ; 
and,  finding  the  two  sons  of  the  master  of  the  house, 
ordered  them  to  dress  and  come  with  us,  certain,  we  said, 
that  they  were  sailors. 

M  N 


1 94  Frank  Mildmay  ;  or, 

When  the  old  tradesman  saw  me  he  began  to  smell 
a  rat,  and  threatened  me  with  severe  punishment.  I 
shewed  him  my  search-warrant,  and  asked  him  if  it  was 
a  good  bill.  After  having  inspected  every  part  of  the 
house,  I  departed,  leaving  the  two  young  cubs  half  dead 
with  fear.  The  next  day,  a  complaint  was  lodged  at  the 
government-house ;  but  investigation  is  a  long  word  when 
a  man-of-war  is  ordered  on  service.  Despatches  from 
Albany  reached  Quebec,  stating  that  the  President  of  the 
United  States  had  declared  war  against  England ;  in  con- 
sequence of  which,  our  captain  took  leave  of  the  governor, 
and  dropped  down  the  river  with  all  speed,  so  I  never 
heard  any  more  of  my  tradesman. 

We  arrived  at  Halifax  full  manned,  and  immediately 
received  orders  to  proceed  to  sea,  "  to  sink,  burn,  and 
destroy."  We  ran  for  Boston  bay,  when,  on  the  morning 
we  made  the  land,  we  discovered  ten  or  twelve  sail  of 
merchant  vessels.  The  first  we  boarded  was  a  brig  ;  one 
of  our  boats  was  lowered  down.;  I  got  into  her,  and 
jumped  on  the  deck  of  the  Yankee,  while  the  frigate  con- 
tinued in  chase  of  the  others.  The  master  of  the  vessel 
sat  on  a  hen-coop,  and  did  not  condescend  to  rise  or  offer 
me  the  least  salute  as  I  passed  him  ;  he  was  a  short,  thick, 
paunchy-looking  fellow. 

"  You  are  an  Englishman,  I  guess  ? " 
"  I   guess   I  am,"  I   said,   imitating  him  with  a   nasal 
twang. 

"  I  thought  we  shouldn't  be  long  in  our  waters  afore 
we  met  some  of  you  old-country  sarpents.  No  harm  in 
v/hat  I've  said,  I  hope  ? "  added  the  master. 

"  Oh,  no,"  said  I,  "not  the  least;  it  will  make  no 
difference  in  the  long  run.  But  where  do  you  come  from, 
and  where  are  you  bound  ? " 

"Come  from  Smyrna,  and  bound  to  Boston,  where 
I  hope  to  be  to-morrow  morning,  by  the  blessing  of  God, 
and  a  good  conscience." 

From  this  answer,  I  perceived  that  he  was  unacquainted 
with  the  war,  and  I  therefore  determined  to  play  with  him 
a  little  before  I  gave  him  the  fatal  news. 


The  Naval  Officer  195 

"  And  pray,"  said  I,  "  what  might  your  cargo  consist 
of?  you  appear  to  be  light." 

"  Not  so  light  neither,  I  guess,"  said  the  man  ;  "  we 
have  sweet  oil,  raisins,  and  what  we  calls  notions." 

"  I  have  no  notion,"  said  I,  "  what  they  might  be.  Pray 
explain  yourself." 

"  Why,  you  see,  notions  is  what  we  call  a  little  of  all 
sorts  like.  Some  likes  one  thing,  you  know,  and  some 
another :  some  likes  sweet  almonds,  and  some  likes  silk, 
and  some  likes  opium,  and  some"  (he  added,  with  a  cunning 
grin)  "likes  dollars." 

"  And  are  these  the  notions  with  which  you  are 
loaded  ? "  said  I. 

"  I  guess  they  are,"  replied  Jonathan. 

"  And  what  might  your  outward  cargo  have  been  ? " 
said  I. 

"  Salt  fish,  flour,  and  tobacco,"  was  his  answer. 

"  And  is  this  all  you  have  in  return  ? "  I  asked.  "  I 
thought  the  Smyrna  trade  had  been  a  very  good  one." 

"  Well,  so  it  is,"  said  the  unwary  Yankee.  "  Thirty 
thousand  dollars  in  the  cabin,  besides  the  oil  and  the  rest 
of  the  goods,  an't  no  bad  thing." 

"lam  very  glad  to  hear  of  the  dollars,"  said  I. 

"  What  odds  does  that  make  to  you  ?  "  said  the  captain ; 
"  it  won't  be  much  on  'em  as  '11  come  to  your  share." 

"  More  than  you  may  think,"  said  I.  "  Have  you  heard 
the  news  as  you  came  along  ?  " 

At  the  word  "  news,"  the  poor  man's  face  became  the 
colour  of  one  in  the  jaundice.  "  What  news  ?  "  said  he,  in 
a  state  of  trepidation  that  hardly  admitted  of  utterance. 

"  Why,  only  that  your  president,  Mr  Madison,  has 
thought  fit  to  declare  war  against  England." 

"  You're  only  a  joking  ?  "  said  the  captain. 

"  I  give  you  my  word  of  honour  I  am  serious,"  said  I ; 
"  and  your  vessel  is  a  prize  to  his  Britannic  majesty's  ship, 
the ." 

The  poor  man  fetched  a  sigh  from  the  waistband  of  his 
trowsers.     "  I  am  a  ruined  man,"  said  he.     "  I  only  wish 


196  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

I'd  known  a  little  sooner  of  the  war  you  talk  about :  I've 
got  two  nice  little  guns  there  forward  ;  you  shouldn't  a 
had  me  so  easily." 

I  smiled  at  his  idea  of  resistance  against  a  fast-sailing 
frigate  of  fifty  guns  ;  but  left  him  in  the  full  enjoyment  of 
his  conceit,  and  changing  the  subject,  asked  if  he  had  any 
thing  he  could  give  us  to  drink,  for  the  weather  was  very 
warm. 

"  No,  I  ha'n't,"  he  replied,  peevishly  \  "  and  if  I 
had " 

"  Come,  come,  my  good  fellow,"  said  I,  "  you  forget 
you  are  a  prize ;  civility  is  a  cheap  article,  and  may  bring 
you  a  quick  return." 

"  That's  true,"  said  Jonathan,  who  was  touched  on  the 
nicest  point — self;  "that's  true,  you  are  only  a  doing 
your  duty.  Here,  boy,  fetch  up  that  ere  demi  John  of 
Madeira,  and  for  aught  I  know,  the  young  officer  might 
like  a  drop  o'  long  cork ;  bring  us  some  tumblers,  and  one 
o'  they  claret  bottles  out  o'  the  starboard  after  locker." 

The  boy  obeyed — and  the  articles  quickly  appeared. 
While  this  dialogue  was  going  on,  the  frigate  was  in  chase, 
firing  guns,  and  bringing-to  the  different  vessels  as  she 
passed  them,  dropping  a  boat  on  board  of  one,  and  making 
sail  after  another.  We  stood  after  her  with  all  the  sail  we 
could  conveniently  carry. 

"  Pray,"  said  the  captain,  "  might  I  offer  you  a  bit  of 
something  to  eat  ?  I  guess  you  ha'n't  dined  yet,  as  it  isn't 
quite  meridian." 

I  thanked  him,  and  accepted  his  offer :  he  ran  down 
instantly  to  the  cabin,  as  if  to  prepare  for  my  reception  5 
but  I  rather  thought  he  wished  to  place  some  articles  out 
of  my  sight,  and  this  proved  to  be  the  case,  for  he  stole  a 
bag  of  dollars  out  of  the  cargo.  In  a  short  time,  I  was 
invited  down.  A  leg  of  cured  pork,  and  a  roasted  fowl, 
were  very  acceptable  to  a  midshipman  at  any  time,  but 
particularly  so  to  me ;  and,  when  accompanied  by  a  few 
glasses  of  the  Madeira,  the  barometer  of  my  spirits  rose  in 
proportion  to  the  depression  of  his. 


The  Naval  Officer  197 

"Come,  captain,*'  said  I,  filling  a  bumper  of  claret, 
"  here's  to  a  long  and  bloody  war." 

"  D — n  the  dog  that  won't  say  amen  to  that,"  said  the 
master ;  "  but  where  do  you  mean  to  carry  me  to  ?  I 
guess  to  Halifax.  Sha'n't  I  have  my  clothes,  and  my  own 
private  venter  ?  " 

"  All  your  private  property,"  said  I,  "  will  be  held 
sacred ;  but  your  vessel  and  cargo  are  ours." 

"  Well,  well,"  said  the  man,  "  I  know  that ;  but  if  you 
behave  well  to  me,  you  sha'n't  find  I'm  ungrateful.  Let 
me  have  my  things,  and  I'll  give  you  a  bit  o'  news,  as  will 
be  of  sarvice  to  you." 

He  then  told  me,  on  my  promising  him  his  private 
venture,  that  we  had  not  a  moment  to  lose,  for  that  a 
vessel,  just  visible  on  the  horizon,  was  from  Smyrna, 
richly  laden ;  she  was  commanded  by  a  townsman  of  his, 
and  bound  to  the  same  place.  I  turned  from  him  with 
contempt,  and  at  the  same  moment  made  the  signal  to 
speak  the  frigate.  On  going  on  board,  I  told  the  captain 
what  I  had  heard  from  the  master  of  the  prize,  and  the 
promise  I  had  given.  He  approved  of  it ;  the  proper 
number  of  men  were  instantly  sent  back  to  the  brig,  the 
prisoners  taken  out,  and  the  frigate  made  sail  in  chase  of 
the  indicated  vessel,  which  she  captured  that  night  at  nine 
o'clock. 

I  would  not  willingly  believe  that  such  perfidy  is 
common  among  the  Americans.  On  parting  with  the 
master  of  my  brig,  a  sharp  dialogue  took  place  between 
us. 

"  I  guess  I'll  fit  out  a  privateer,  and  take  some  o'  your 
merchanters." 

"Take  care  you  are  not  taken  yourself,"  said  I,  "and 
pass  your  time  on  board  one  of  our  prison  ships ;  but, 
remember,  whatever  may  happen,  it's  all  your  own  fault. 
You  have  picked  a  German  quarrel  with  us,  to  please 
Boney ;  and  he  will  only  spit  in  your  face  when  you  have 
done  your  best  for  him.  Your  wise  president  has  declared 
war  against  the  mother  country." 


198  Frank  Mildmay  ;  or, 

"  D — n  the  mother  country,"  muttered  the  Yankee ; 
"  step-mother,  I  guess,  you  mean,  tarnation  seize  her ! ! !  " 

We  continued  following  the  ship,  and  by  night-time  the 
frigate  had  secured  eight  prizes  ;  one  of  them  being  a  brig 
in  ballast,  the  prisoners  were  put  on  board  of  her,  my 
Yankee  friend  among  the  number,  and  turned  adrift,  to 
find  their  way  home.  "We  took  care  to  give  to  all  of 
them  their  private  ventures  and  their  clothes.  I  was  in 
hopes  of  being  allowed  to  go  to  Halifax  with  my  prize ; 
but  the  captain,  knowing  how  I  was  likely  to  pass  my 
time,  kept  me  with  him.  We  cruised  two  months,  taking 
many  privateers,  some  large  and  some  small ;  some  we 
burned,  and  some  we  scuttled. 

One  day  we  had  one  of  these  craft  alongside,  and 
having  taken  every  thing  out  of  her  that  was  worth 
moving,  we  very  imprudently  set  her  on  fire  before  she 
was  clear  of  the  ship's  side ;  and  as  we  were  on  a  wind,  it 
was  some  minutes  before  we  could  get  her  clear.  In  the 
meantime  the  fire  began  to  blaze  up  in  a  very  alarming 
manner  under  the  mizzen  chains,  where,  by  the  attraction 
of  the  two  floating  bodies,  she  seemed  resolved  to  continue; 
but  on  our  putting  the  helm  up,  and  giving  the  vessel  a 
sheer  the  contrary  way,  as  soon  as  we  were  before  the 
wind,  she  parted  from  us,  to  our  great  joy,  and  was  soon 
in  a  volume  of  flame.  Our  reason  for  setting  her  on  fire 
alongside  was  to  save  time,  as  we  wanted  to  go  in  chase 
of  another  vessel,  seen  from  the  mast-head,  and  lowering 
a  boat  down  to  destroy  this  vessel  would  have  detained  us. 

Before  the  end  of  the  cruise,  we  chased  a  schooner, 
which  ran  on  shore  and  bilged ;  we  boarded  her,  brought 
away  her  crew  and  part  of  her  cargo,  which  was  very 
valuable.  She  was  from  Bordeaux,  bound  to  Philadelphia. 
I  was  sent  to  examine  her,  and  endeavour  to  bring  away 
more  of  her  cargo.  The  tide  rising  in  her,  we  were 
compelled  to  rip  up  her  decks,  and  discovered  that  she 
was  laden  with  bales  of  silk,  broad  cloths,  watches,  clocks, 
laces,  silk  stockings,  wine,  brandy,  bars  of  steel,  olive-oil, 
&o,   &c.     I  sent  word  of  this  to  the  captain;  and  the 


The  Naval  Officer  199 

carpenter  and  plenty  of  assistants  arriving,  we  rescued  a 
great  quantity  of  the  goods  from  the  deep  or  the  Yankee 
boats,  who  would  soon  have  been  on  board  after  we  left 
her.  We  could  perceive  in  the  hold  some  eases,  but  they 
were  at  least  four  feet  under  water.  It  was  confoundedly 
cold;  but  I  thought  there  was  something  worth  diving 
for,  so  down  I  went,  and  contrived  to  keep  myself  long 
enough  under  water  to  hook  one  end  of  a  case,  by  which 
means  we  broke  it  out  and  got  it  up.  It  was  excellent 
claret,  and  we  were  not  withheld  from  drinking  it  by  any 
scruples  of  conscience  ;  for  if  I  had  not  dived  for  it,  it 
would  never  have  come  to  the  mouth  of  an  Englishman. 
We  discussed  a  three-dozen  case  among  just  so  many  of 
us,  in  a  reasonable  short  time ;  and  as  it  was  October,  we 
felt  no  ill  effects  from  a  frequent  repetition  of  the  dose. 

I  never  felt  colder,  and  diving  requires  much  stimulant. 
From  practice  at  this  work,  I  could  pick  up  pins  and 
needles  in  a  clear,  sandy  bottom;  and,  considering  the 
density  of  the  medium,  could  live  like  a  beaver  under 
water ;  but  I  required  ample  fees  for  my  trouble.  When 
we  returned  on  board,  we  were  very  wet  and  cold,  and 
the  wine  took  no  effect  on  us  j  but  as  soon  as  we  thawed, 
like  the  horn  of  the  great  Munchausen,  the  secret  escaped, 
for  we  were  all  tipsy.  The  captain  inquired  the  cause  of 
this  the  next  day,  and  I  very  candidly  told  him  the  whole 
history.  He  was  wise  enough  to  laugh  at  it ;  some 
captains  would  have  flogged  every  one  of  the  men,  and 
disgraced  the  officers. 

On  our  return  into  port,  I  requested  permission  to  go 
to  England  in  order  to  pass  my  examination  as  lieutenant, 
having  nearly  completed  my  servitude  as  a  midshipman. 
I  was  asked  to  remain  out,  and  take  my  chance  for  pro- 
motion in  the  flag-ship ;  but  more  reasons  than  I  chose  to 
give,  induced  me  to  prefer  an  examination  at  a  sea-port  in 
England,  and  I  obtained  my  discharge  and  came  home. 
The  reader  will  no  doubt  give  me  credit  for  having 
written  some  dozen  of  letters  to  Eugenia :  youth,  beauty, 
and  transient  possession  had  still  preserved  my  attachment 


200  Frank  Mildmay  ;  or, 

to  her  unabated.  Emily  I  had  heard  of,  and  still  loved 
with  a  purer  flame.  She  was  my  sun ;  Eugenia  my  moon ; 
and  the  fair  favourites  of  the  western  hemisphere,  so  many- 
twinkling  stars  of  the  first,  second,  and  third  magnitude. 
I  loved  them  all  more  or  less ;  but  all  their  charms 
vanished,  when  the  beauteous  Emily  shone  in  my  breast 
with  refulgent  light. 

I  had  received  letters  from  my  father,  who  wished  me 
to  come  home,  that  he  might  present  me  to  some  of  the 
great  men  of  the  nation,  and  secure  my  promotion  to  the 
highest  ranks  of  the  service.  This  advice  was  good,  and, 
as  it  suited  my  views,  I  followed  it.  I  parted  with  my 
captain  on  the  best  terms,  took  leave  of  all  my  messmates 
and  the  officers  in  the  same  friendly  manner,  and  last,  not 
least,  went  round  to  the  ladies,  kissing,  hugging,  crying, 
and  swearing  love  and  eternal  attachment.  Nothing,  I 
declared,  should  keep  me  from  Halifax,  as  soon  as  I  had 
passed ;  nothing  prevent  my  marrying  one,  as  soon  as  I 
was  a  lieutenant ;  a  second  was  to  have  the  connubial  knot 
tied  when  I  was  a  commander ;  and  a  third,  as  soon  as  I 
was  made  a  captain.  Oh,  how  like  was  I  to  Don  Galaor  ! 
Oh,  how  unlike  the  constant  Amadis  de  Gaul  !  But, 
reader,  you  must  take  me  as  I  was,  not  as  I  ought  to  have 
been. 

After  a  passage  of  six  weeks,  I  arrived  at  Plymouth, 
and  had  exactly  completed  my  six  years'  servitude. 


Chapter  XV 

Examine  him  closely,  goodman  Dry ;  spare  him  not.    Ask  him  impossible 
questions.     Let  us  thwart  him,  let  us  thwart  him. 

Beaumont  and  Fletcher. 

Soon  after  my  arrival  at  Plymouth,  notice  was  given  by  a 
general  order,  issued  from  the  flag-ship,  that  a  passing-day 
for  the  examination  of  midshipmen,  as  touching  their 
qualifications  for  the  rank  of  lieutenant,  would  be  held  on 


The  Naval  Officer  201 

board  the  Salvador  del  Mundo,  in  Hamoaze.  I  lost  no  time 
in  acquainting  my  father  with  this,  and  telling  him  that  I 
felt  quite  prepared,  and  meant  to  offer  myself.  Ac- 
cordingly, on  the  day  appointed,  your  humble  servant, 
with  some  fourteen  or  fifteen  other  youthful  aspirants, 
assembled  on  board  the  flag-ship.  Each  was  dressed  out 
in  our  No.  I  suits,  in  most  exact  and  unquizzable  uniform, 
with  a  large  bundle  of  log-books  under  our  arms.  "We 
were  all  huddled  together  in  a  small  screened  canvas 
cabin,  like  so  many  sheep  ready  for  slaughter. 

About  eleven  o'clock,  the  captains  who  were  to  be  our 
Minos  and  our  Rhadamanthus,  made  their  appearance,  and 
we  all  agreed  that  we  did  not  much  like  the  "  cut  of  their 
jibs."  At  twelve  o'clock  the  first  name  was  called.  The 
"  desperate  youth  "  tried  to  pluck  up  a  little  courage — he 
cleared  his  throat,  pulled  up  his  shirt  collar,  touched  his 
neck-handkerchief,  and  seizing  his  cocked  hat  and  journals, 
boldly  followed  the  messenger  into  the  captain's  cabin, 
where  three  grave-looking  gentlemen,  in  undress  uniform, 
awaited  him.  They  were  seated  at  a  round  table  ;  a  clerk 
was  at  the  elbow  of  the  president  j  Moore's  navigation, 
that  wise  redoubtable,  lay  before  them  ;  together  with  a 
nautical  almanack,  a  slate  and  pencil,  ink  and  paper.  The 
trembling  middy  advanced  to  the  table,  and  having  most 
respectfully  deposited  his  journals  and  certificates  of 
sobriety  and  good  conduct,  was  desired  to  sit  down.  The 
first  questions  were  merely  theoretical  ;  and  although  in 
the  gun-room,  or  in  any  other  company,  he  would  have 
acquitted  himself  with  ease,  he  was  so  abashed  and  con- 
founded, that  he  lost  his  head  entirely,  trembled  at  the 
first  question,  stared  at  the  second,  and  having  no  answer 
to  make  to  the  third,  was  dismissed,  with  directions  "  to 
go  to  sea  six  months  longer." 

He  returned  to  us  with  a  most  woe-begone  countenance. 
I  never  saw  a  poor  creature  in  greater  mental  torment. 
I  felt  for  him  the  more,  as  I  knew  not  how  soon  his  case 
might  be  my  own.  Another  was  called,  and  soon  re- 
turned with  no  better   success  ;   and   the   description  he 


202  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

gave  of  the  bullying  conduct  of  the  youngest  passing 
captain  was  such  as  to  damp  the  spirits,  and  enough  to 
stultify  minds  so  inexperienced  as  ours,  and  where  so 
much  depended  on  our  success.  This  hint  was,  however, 
of  great  use  to  me.  Theory,  I  found,  was  the  rock  on 
which  they  had  split ;  and  in  this  part  of  my  profession, 
I  knew  my  powers,  and  was  resolved  not  to  be  bowled 
out  by  the  young  captain.  But  while  I  thus  resolved,  a 
third  candidate  was  returned  to  us  re  infecta;  and  this 
was  a  young  man  on  whose  talents  I  could  have  relied : 
I  began  to  doubt  myself.  When  the  fourth  came  out 
with  a  smiling  face,  and  told  us  he  had  passed,  I  took  a 
little  breath  ;  but  even  this  comfort  was  snatched  from 
me  in  a  moment,  by  his  saying  that  one  of  the  passing 
captains  was  a  friend  of  his  father.  Here  then  was 
solved  an  enigma;  for  this  fellow,  during  the  short 
time  I  was  in  his  company,  gave  proof  of  being  no 
better  than  a  simpleton. 

On  my  own  name  being  called,  I  felt  a  flutter  about  the 
heart  which  I  did  not  feel  in  action,  or  in  the  hurricane, 
or  when,  in  a  case  more  desperate  than  either,  I  jumped 
over-board  at  Spithead,  to  swim  to  my  dear  Eugenia. 
"Powers  of  Impudence,  as  well  as  Algebra,"  said  I, 
"  lend  me  your  aid,  or  I  am  undone."  In  a  moment  the 
cabin  door  flew  open,  the  sentinel  closed  it  after  me, 
and  I  found  myself  in  the  presence  of  this  most  awful 
triumvirate.  I  felt  very  like  Daniel  in  the  lions'  den. 
I  was  desired  to  take  a  chair,  and  a  short  discussion 
ensued  between  the  judges,  which  I  neither  heard  nor 
wished  to  hear :  but  while  it  lasted,  I  had  time  to  survey 
my  antagonists  from  head  to  foot.  I  encouraged  myself 
to  think  that  I  was  equal  to  one  of  them ;  and  if  I  could 
only  neutralise  him,  I  thought  I  should  very  easily  floor 
the  other  two. 

One  of  these  officers  had  a  face  like  a  painted  pumpkin ; 
and  his  hand,  as  it  lay  on  the  table,  looked  more  like  the 
fin  of  a  turtle ;  the  nails  were  bitten  so  close  off,  that  the 
very  remains  of  them   seemed  to  have  retreated  into  the 


The  Naval  Officer  203 

flesh,  for  fear  of  farther  depredation,  which  the  other 
hand  was  at  the  moment  suffering.  Thinks  I  to  myself, 
"  If  ever  I  saw  *  lodgings  to  let,  unfurnished,'  it  is  in 
that  cocoa-nut,  or  pumpkin,  or  gourd  of  yours." 

The  next  captain  to  him  was  a  little,  thin,  dark,  dried 
up,  shrivelled  fellow,  with  keen  eyes,  and  a  sharp  nose. 
The  midshipmen  called  him  "  Old  Chili  Vinegar,"  or, 
"  Old  Hot  and  Sour."  He  was  what  we  term  a  martinet. 
He  would  keep  a  man  two  months  on  his  black  list, 
giving  him  a  breech  of  a  gun  to  polish  and  keep  bright, 
never  allowing  him  time  to  mend  his  clothes,  or  keep 
himself  clean,  while  he  was  cleaning  that  which,  for  all 
the  purposes  of  war,  had  better  have  been  black.  He 
seldom  flogged  a  man ;  but  he  tormented  him  into  sullen 
discontent,  by  what  he  called  "  keeping  the  devil  out  of 
his  mind."  This  little  night-mare,  who  looked  like  a 
dried  eel-skin,  I  soon  found  was  the  leader  of  the  band. 

The  third  captain  was  a  tall,  well-looking,  pompous 
man  (he  was  the  junior  officer  of  the  three),  with  a 
commanding  and  most  unbending  countenance :  "  He 
would  not  ope  his  mouth  in  way  of  smile,  though  Nestor 
swore  the  jest  was  laughable." 

I  had  just  time  to  finish  my  survey,  and  form  a  rough 
estimate  of  the  qualities  of  my  examiners,  when  I  was 
put  upon  my  trial  by  the  president,  who  thus  addressed 
me, 

"  You  are  perfect  in  the  theory  of  navigation,  I  presume, 
Sir,  or  you  would  not  come  here  ?  " 

I  replied,  that  I  hoped  I  should  be  found  so,  if  they 
would  please  to  try  me. 

"  Ready  enough  with  his  answer,"  said  the  tall  captain ; 
"  I  daresay  this  fellow  is  jaw-master-general  in  the  cock- 
pit.— Who  did  you  serve  your  time  with,  Sir  ? " 

I  stated  the  different  captains  I  had  served  with, 
particularly  Lord  Edward. 

"  Oh,  ay,  that's  enough  ;  you  must  be  a  smart  fellow,  if 
you  have  served  with  Lord  Edward." 

I  understood  the  envious  and  sarcastic  manner  in  which 


204  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

this  was  uttered,  and  prepared  accordingly  for  an  arduous 
campaign,  quite  sure  that  this  man,  who  was  no  seaman, 
would  have  been  too  happy  in  turning  back  one  of  Lord 
Edward's  midshipmen.  Several  problems  were  given  to 
me,  which  I  readily  solved,  and  returned  to  them.  They 
examined  my  logs  and  certificates  with  much  seeming 
scrutiny,  and  then  ventured  a  quesiton  in  the  higher 
branches  of  mathematics.  This  I  also  solved ;  but  I 
found  talent  was  not  exactly  what  they  wanted.  The 
little  skinny  captain  seemed  rather  disappointed  that  he 
could  not  find  fault  with  me.  A  difficult  problem  in 
spherical  trigonometry  lay  before  them,  carefully  drawn 
out,  and  the  result  distinctly  marked  at  the  bottom ;  but 
this  I  was  not,  of  course,  permitted  to  see.  I  soon 
answered  the  question ;  they  compared  my  work  with 
that  which  had  been  prepared  for  them;  and  as  they 
did  not  exactly  agree,  I  was  told  that  I  was  wrong.  I 
was  not  disconcerted,  and  very  deliberately  looking  over 
my  work,  I  told  them  I  could  not  discover  any  error, 
and  was  able  to  prove  it  by  inspection,  by  Canon,  by 
Gunter,  or  by  figure. 

"  You  think  yourself  a  very  clever  fellow,  I  dare  say," 
said  the  little  fat  captain. 

*'  A  second  Euclid  !  "  said  the  tall  captain.  "  Pray,  Sir, 
do  you  know  the  meaning  of  *  Pons  Asinorum  ? '  " 

"  Bridge  of  Asses,  Sir,"  said  I,  staring  him  full  in  the 
face,  with  a  smile  under  the  skin. 

Now  it  was  very  clear  to  me  that  the  little  fat  captain 
had  never  heard  of  the  Asses  Bridge  before,  and  therefore 
supposed  I  was  quizzing  the  tall  captain,  who,  from 
having  been  what  we  used  to  term  a  "harbour-duty  man" 
all  his  life,  had  heard  of  the  Pons  Asinorum,  but  did  not 
know  which  of  the  problems  of  Euclid  it  was,  nor  how 
it  was  applicable  to  navigation.  The  fat  captain,  therefore 
burst  into  a  horse  laugh,  saying,  "  I  think  he  hits  you 
hard ;  you  had  better  let  him  alone :  he  will  puzzle  you 
presently." 

Nettled  at  this  observation  of  his  brother  officer,  the 


The  Naval  Officer  205 

tall  captain  was  put  upon  his  metal,  and  insisted  that  the 
question  last  proposed  was  not  satisfactorily  answered, 
and  swore  by  G —  that  he  never  would  sign  my  certificate 
until  I  did  it. 

I  persisted ;  the  two  works  were  compared :  I  was 
threatened  to  be  turned  back ;  when,  lo,  to  the  dismay 
of  the  party,  the  error  was  found  in  their  own  work. 
The  fat  captain,  who  was  a  well-meaning  man,  laughed 
heartily  5  the  other  two  looked  very  silly  and  very  angry. 

"  Enough  of  this,  Sir,"  said  the  martinet :  *'  now  stand 
up,  and  let  us  see  what  you  can  do  with  a  ship."  A  ship 
was  supposed  to  be  on  the  stocks ;  she  was  launched ; 
I  was  appointed  to  her,  and,  as  first  lieutenant,  ordered 
to  prepare  her  for  sea.  I  took  her  into  dock,  and  saw 
her  coppered ;  took  her  along  the  sheer-hulk,  masted  her ; 
laid  her  to  the  ballast- wharf,  took  in  and  stowed  her  iron 
ballast  and  her  tanks ;  moved  off  to  a  hulk  or  receiving 
ship,  rigged  her  completely,  bent  her  sails,  took  in  guns, 
stores,  and  provisions ;  reported  her  ready  for  sea,  and 
made  the  signal  for  a  pilot ;  took  her  out  of  harbour,  and 
was  desired  to  conduct  her  into  other  harbours,  pointing 
out  the  shoals  and  dangers  of  Portsmouth,  Plymouth, 
Falmouth,  the  Downs,  Yarmouth  Roads,  and  even  to 
Shetland. 

But  the  little  martinet  and  the  tall  captain  had  not 
forgiven  me  for  being  right  in  the  problem,  and  my 
examination  continued.  They  put  my  ship  into  every 
possible  situation  which  the  numerous  casualties  of  a  sea 
life  present  in  such  endless  variety.  I  set  and  took  in 
every  sail,  from  a  sky-sail  to  try-sail.  I  had  my  masts 
shot  away,  and  I  rigged  jury-masts  :  I  made  sail  on  them, 
and  was  getting  fairly  into  port,  when  the  little  martinet 
very  cruelly  threw  my  ship  on  her  beam-ends  on  a  dead 
lee-shore,  a  dark  night,  and  blowing  a  hurricane,  and 
told  me  to  get  her  out  of  that  scrape  if  I  could.  I  replied 
that,  if  there  was  anchorage,  I  should  anchor,  and  take 
my  chance  ;  but  if  there  was  no  anchorage,  neither  he 
nor  any  one  else  could  save  the  ship,  without  a  change 


206  Frank  Mildmay ;  or, 

of  wind,  or  the  special  interference  of  Providence.  This 
did  not  satisfy  old  Chili  Vinegar.  I  saw  that  I  was  perse- 
cuted, and  that  the  end  would  be  fatal  to  my  hopes :  I 
therefore  became  indifferent ;  was  fatigued  with  the  end- 
less questions  put  to  me  ;  and,  very  fortunately  for  me, 
made  a  mistake,  at  least  in  the  opinion  of  the  tall  captain. 
The  question  at  that  time  was  one  which  was  much 
controverted  in  the  service ;  namely,  whether,  on  being 
taken  flat  aback,  you  should  put  your  helm  a  turn  or  two 
alee,  or  keep  it  amidship  ?  I  preferred  the  latter  mode ; 
but  the  tall  captain  insisted  on  the  former,  and  gave  his 
reasons.  Finding  myself  on  debateable  ground,  I  gave 
way,  and  thanked  him  for  his  advice,  which  I  said  I 
should  certainly  follow  whenever  the  case  occurred  to  me ; 
not  that  I  felt  convinced  then,  and  have  since  found  that 
he  was  wrong  ;  still  my  apparent  tractability  pleased  his 
self-love,  and  he  became  my  advocate.  "  He  grinned 
horribly  a  ghastly  smile,"  and,  turning  to  the  other 
captains,  asked  if  they  were  satisfied. 

This  question,  like  the  blow  of  the  auctioneer's  hammer, 
ends  all  discussion ;  for  captains,  on  these  occasions,  never 
gainsay  each  other ;  I  was  told  that  my  passing  certificate 
would  be  signed.  I  made  my  best  bow  and  my  exit, 
reflecting,  as  I  returned  to  the  "sheep  pen,"  that  I  had 
nearly  lost  my  promotion  by  wounding  their  vanity,  and 
had  regained  my  ground  by  flattering  it.  Thus  the  world 
goes  on;  and  from  my  earliest  days,  my  mind  was 
strengthened  and  confirmed  in  every  vice  by  the  pernicious 
example  of  my  superiors. 

I  might  have  passed  much  more  easily  abroad.  I  re- 
member, one  fine  day  at  sea,  in  the  West  Indies,  a  boat 
was  lowered  down,  and  sent  with  a  young  midshipman 
(whose  time  was  not  fairly  served,  and  whose  age  and 
appearance  indicated  anything  but  nautical  knowledge)  to 
a  ship  then  in  company ;  in  a  quarter  of  an  hour  he 
returned,  with  his  passing  certificate.  We  were  all 
astonished,  and  inquired  what  questions  were  put  to  him ; 
he  said,  "  None  at  all,  except  as  to  the  health  of  my  father 


The  Naval  Officer  207 

and  mother  ;  and  whether  I  would  have  port  or  white 
wine  and  water.  On  coming  away,"  the  brat  added,  "  one 
of  the  captains  desired  I  would,  when  I  wrote  home,  give 
his  best  respects  to  Lord  and  Lady  G.  He  had  ordered  a 
turkey  to  be  picked  and  put  in  the  boat  for  me,  and  wished 
me  success." 

This  boy  was  soon  afterwards  made  a  post-captain  ;  but 
fortunately  for  the  service,  died  on  his  passage  to  England. 

There  was  certainly  some  difference  between  this  ex- 
amination and  mine ;  but  when  it  was  over,  I  rejoiced  at 
the  severity  of  my  ordeal.  My  pride,  my  darling  pride, 
was  tickled  at  the  triumph  of  my  talents ;  and  as  I  wiped 
away  the  perspiration  from  my  forehead,  I  related  my 
difficulties,  my  trials,  and  my  success,  with  a  degree  of 
self-complacency  that  in  any  other  person  I  should  have 
called  egregious  vanity.  One  good  effect  resulted  from 
my  long  examination,  which  continued  an  hour  and  a  half 
— this  was,  that  the  captains  passed  all  the  other  midship- 
men with  very  few  questions.  They  were  tired  of  their 
employment  ;  and  thus  it  was  only  the  poor  unlucky  devils 
that  took  off  the  fiery  edge  of  their  morning  zeal,  who 
suffered  ;  and  among  "  the  plucked,"  it  was  known  there 
were  much  cleverer  fellows  than  many  of  those  who  had 
come  off  with  flying  colours. 

There  was  one  circumstance  which  amused  me.  When 
the  captains  came  on  deck,  the  little  Chili  Vinegar  called 
me  to  him,  and  enquired  whether  I  was  any  relation  of 
Mr .     I  replied  that  he  was  my  uncle. 

"Bless  my  soul,  Sir!  why  he  is  my  most  intimate 
friend.     "Why  did  you  not  tell  me  you  were  his  nephew  ?  " 

I  answered  with  an  affected  humility,  very  nearly  allied 
to  impertinence,  that  I  could  not  see  by  his  face  that  he 
knew  my  uncle  ;  nor,  indeed,  had  I  known  it,  should  I  have 
thought  it  delicate  to  have  mentioned  it  at  such  a  time ;  as 
it  might  not  only  have  implied  a  want  of  confidence  in  my 
own  abilities,  but  also  a  suspicion  that  he  might,  by  such 
a  communication,  have  been  induced  to  deviate  from  the 
rigid  path  of  his  duty,  and  might  therefore  have  received  it 
as  a  personal  affront. 


208  Frank  Mildmay  ;  or, 

"  All  that  is  very  fine,  and  very  true,"  said  the  veteran ; 
"  but  when  you  have  an  older  head  upon  your  shoulders, 
and  have  seen  a  little  more  of  our  service,  you  will  learn  to 
trust  at  least  as  much  to  friends  as  to  merit ;  and  rely  on  it, 
that  if  you  could  make  yourself  out  cousin-german  to  the 
old  tom-cat  at  the  Admiralty,  you  would  fare  all  the  better 
for  it.  However,  it's  all  over  now,  and  there's  an  end  of 
it ;  but  make  my  compliments  to  your  uncle,  and  tell  him 
that  you  passed  your  examination  in  a  manner  highly 
creditable  to  you." 

So  saying,  he  touched  his  hat  to  the  Serjeant's  guard, 
and  slipped  down  the  side  into  his  gig.  As  he  descended, 
I  said  to  myself,  "D — n  your  monkey  face,  you  coffee- 
coloured  little  rascal — no  thanks  to  you  if  I  have  passed. 
I  suppose  your  father  was  breeches-mender  to  the  first 
lord's  butler,  or  else  you  shared  your  mother's  milk  with 
a  lord  in  waiting,  and  that's  the  way  you  got  the  command 
of  the " 

Elated  with  the  result  of  the  day,  I  threw  myself  into 
the  mail  that  evening,  and  reached  my  father's  house  in 
a  short  time  after.  My  reception  was  kind  and  affectionate ; 
but  death  had  made  sad  havoc  in  my  family  during  my  late 
absence.  My  elder  brother  and  two  sisters  had  been 
successively  called  to  join  my  poor  mother  in  heaven,  and 
all  that  remained  now  to  comfort  my  father  was  a  younger 
sister  and  myself.  I  must  confess  that  my  father  received 
me  with  great  emotion ;  his  own  heavy  afflictions  from  the 
loss  of  his  children,  and  the  dangers  I  had  undergone,  as 
well  as  the  authentic  assurances  he  had  received  of  my 
good  conduct  were  more  than  sufficient  to  bury  all  my 
errors  in  oblivion  ;  and  he  appeared,  and  I  have  no  doubt 
really  was,  fonder  and  prouder  of  me  than  ever. 

As  to  what  my  own  feelings  were  on  this  occasion, 
I  shall  not  attempt  to  disguise  them.  Sorry  I  certainly 
was  for  the  death  of  my  nearest  relatives ;  but  when  the 
intelligence  reached  me,  I  was  in  the  midst  of  the  most 
active  service.  Death  in  all  its  forms  had  become  familiar 
to  me  j  and  so  little  impression  did  the  event  make  on  my 


The  Naval  Officer  209 

mind,  that  I  did  not  interrupt  the  thread  of  my  history  to 
speak  of  it  when  it  occurred.  I  take  shame  to  myself  for 
not  feeling  more;  but  I  am  quite  sure,  from  this  one 
instance  in  my  life,  that  the  feelings  are  blunted  in  pro- 
portion to  the  increase  of  misery  around  us  ;  that  the 
parent  who,  in  a  moment  of  peace  and  domestic  tranquillity, 
would  be  agonized  at  the  loss  of  one  child,  would  view 
the  death  of  ten  with  comparative  indifference,  when 
surrounded  by  war,  pestilence,  or  famine. 

My  feelings,  never  very  acute  in  this  respect,  were 
completely  blunted  by  my  course  of  life.  Those  fond 
recollections  which,  in  a  calm  scene,  would  have  wrung 
from  me  some  tears  to  their  memory,  were  now  drowned 
or  absorbed  in  the  waste,  the  profligacy,  and  the  dissipa- 
tion of  war  ;  and  shall  I  add,  that  I  easily  reconciled  myself 
to  a  loss  which  was  likely  so  much  to  increase  my  worldly 
gain.  For  my  eldest  brother,  I  own  that,  even  from 
childhood,  I  had  felt  a  jealousy  and  dislike,  fostered,  as  I 
think,  in  some  measure  unwisely,  and  in  part  unavoidably, 
by  the  conduct  of  my  parents.  In  all  matters  of  choice  or 
distinction,  Tom  was  to  have  the  preference,  because  he 
was  the  oldest :  this  I  thought  hard  enough  ;  but  when 
Tom  had  new  clothes  at  Midsummer  and  Christmas,  and 
his  old  ones  were  converted  to  my  use,  I  honestly  own 
I  wished  the  devil  had  Tom.  As  a  point  of  economy, 
perhaps,  this  could  not  be  avoided ;  but  it  engendered 
a  hatred  towards  my  brother  which  often  made  me,  in  my 
own  little  malignant  mind,  find  excuses  for  the  conduct  of 
Cain. 

Tom  was,  to  be  sure,  what  is  called  a  good  boy ;  he 
never  soiled  his  clothes,  as  I  did.  I  was  always  considered 
as  a  rantipole,  for  whom  any  thing  was  good  enough. 
But  when  I  saw  my  brother  tricked  out  in  new  clothes, 
and  his  old  duds  covering  me,  like  a  scarecrow,  I  appeal 
to  any  honourable  mind  whether  it  was  in  human  nature 
to  feel  otherwise  than  I  did,  without  possessing  an  angelic 
disposition,  to  which  I  never  pretended ;  and  I  fairly  own 
that  I  did  shed  not  one  fiftieth  part  so  many  tears  over 

M  O 


210  Frank  Mildmay  ;  oiv 

Tom's  grave,  as  I  did  over  his  dirty  pantaloons,  when 
forced  to  put  them  on. 

As  for  my  sisters,  I  knew  little  about  them,  and  cared 
less  :  we  met  during  the  holidays,  and  separated,  without 
regret,  after  a  month's  quarrelling.  When  I  went  to  sea, 
I  ceased  to  think  about  them,  concluding  there  was  no 
love  lost ;  but  when  I  found  that  death  had  for  ever 
robbed  me  of  two  of  them,  I  felt  the  irretrievable  loss. 
I  reproached  myself  with  my  coldness  and  neglect ;  and 
the  affection  I  had  denied  to  them,  I  heaped  threefold  on 
my  remaining  sister :  even  before  I  had  ever  seen  her  on 
my  return,  the  tide  of  fraternal  love  flowed  towards  her 
with  an  uncontrollable  violence.  All  that  I  ought  to  have 
felt  towards  the  others,  was  concentrated  in  her,  and 
displayed  itself  with  a  force  which  surprised  even  myself. 

Perhaps  the  reader  may  be  astonished  that  my  first 
inquiry  in  London,  when  I  had  seen  my  father  and  my 
family,  should  not  have  been  after  poor  Eugenia,  whom  I 
had  left,  and  who  also  had  quitted  me,  under  such  very 
peculiar  and  interesting  circumstances.  I  cannot,  however, 
claim  much  credit  for  having  performed  this  duty.  I  did 
go,  without  loss  of  time,  to  her  agent ;  and  all  that  my 
most  urgent  entreaty  could  obtain  from  him  was  that 
she  was  well ;  that  I  still  had  credit  at  his  house  for  any 
sum  I  chose  to  draw  for  in  moderation ;  but  that  her  place 
of  abode  must,  till  farther  orders  from  her,  remain  a 
secret. 

As  my  father  did  not  want  interest,  and  my  claims  were 
backed  by  good  certificates,  I  received  my  commission  as 
a  lieutenant  in  his  Majesty's  navy  about  a  fortnight  after 
my  arrival  in  London ;  but  not  being  appointed  to  any  ship, 
I  resolved  to  enjoy  the  "  otium  cum  dig."  and  endeavour 
to  make  myself  some  amends  for  the  hard  campaign  I  had 
so  lately  completed  in  North  America.  I  felt  the  transport 
of  being  a  something :  at  least,  I  could  live  independent 
of  my  father,  let  the  worst  come  to  the  worst ;  and  I  shall 
ever  think  this  step  gave  me  more  real  pleasure  than  either 
of  the  two  subsequent  ones  which  I  have  lived  to  attain. 


The  Naval  Officer  21 1 

No  sooner,  therefore,  had  I  taken  up  my  commission,  than 
my  thoughts  turned  on  my  Emily  ;  and  two  days  after  the 
attainment  of  my  rank,  I  mentioned  to  my  father  my  in- 
tention of  paying  a  visit  to Hall. 

He  was  at  the  time  in  high  good  humour;  we  were 
sitting  over  our  bottle  of  claret,  after  an  excellent  tete-a- 
tete  dinner,  during  which  I  contributed  very  much  to  his 
amusement  by  the  recital  of  some  of  my  late  adventures. 
He  shuddered  at  my  danger  in  the  hurricane,  and  his 
good-humoured  sides  had  well  nigh  cracked  with  laughter 
when  I  recounted  my  pranks  at  Quebec  and  Prince 
Edward's  Island.  When  I  spoke  of  Miss  Somerville,  my 
father  said  he  had  no  doubt  she  would  be  happy  to  see 
me — that  she  was  now  grown  a  very  beautiful  girl,  and 
was  the  toast  of  the  county. 

I  received  this  information  with  an  apparent  cool  in- 
difference which  I  was  far  from  feeling  inwardly,  for  my 
heart  beat  at  the  intelligence.  "  Perhaps,"  said  I,  picking 
my  teeth,  and  looking  at  my  mouth  in  a  little  ivory  etui — 
"  perhaps  she  may  be  grown  a  fine  girl :  she  bade  fair  to 
be  so  when  I  saw  her ;  but  fine  girls  are  very  plenty  now- 
a-days,  since  the  Vaccine  has  turned  out  the  smali-pox. 
Besides,  the  girls  have  now  another  chance  of  a  good 
shape ;  they  are  allowed  to  take  the  air,  instead  of  sitting 
all  day,  with  their  feet  in  the  stocks  and  their  dear  sweet 
noses  bent  over  a  French  grammar,  under  the  rod  of  a 
French  governess." 

Why  I  took  so  much  pains  to  conceal  from  the  best  of 
parents  the  real  state  of  my  heart,  I  know  not,  except 
that,  from  habit,  deceit  was  to  me  more  readily  at  hand 
than  candour  ;  certainly  my  attachment  to  this  fair  and 
virtuous  creature  could  not  cause  me  to  blush,  except  at 
my  own  unworthiness  of  so  much  excellence.  My  father 
looked  disappointed ;  I  know  not  why  ;  but  I  afterwards 
learned  that  the  subject  of  our  union  had,  since  my 
brother's  death,  been  discussed  and  agreed  to  between 
him  and  Mr  Somerville  ;  and  that  our  marriage  was  only 
to  be  deferred  until  I  should  have  attained  the  rank  of 
captain,  provided  always  that  the  parties  were  agreed. 


212  Frank  Mildmay  ;  or, 

"I  thought,"  said  my  father,  "that  you  were  rather 
smitten  in  that  quarter  ?  " 

"  Me  smitten,  Sir  ?  "  said  I,  with  a  look  of  astonishment. 
"  I  have,  it  is  true,  a  very  high  respect  for  Miss  Somerville  ; 
but  as  for  being  in  love  with  her,  I  trust  no  little  attentions 
on  my  part  have  been  so  construed.  I  have  paid  her  no 
more  attention  than  I  may  have  done  to  any  pretty  girl  I 
meet  with."     (This  was,  indeed,  true,  too  true.) 

"  Well,  well,"  said  my  father,  "it  is  a  mistake  on  my 
part." 

And  here  the  conversation  on  that  subject  was  dropped. 

It  appeared  that  after  the  little  arrangement  between 
Mr  Somerville  and  my  father,  and  when  I  had  gone  to  join 
my  ship  in  America,  they  had  had  some  communication 
together,  in  which  Mr  Somerville  disclosed,  that  having 
questioned  his  daughter,  she  had  ingenuously  confessed 
that  I  was  not  indifferent  to  her.  She  acknowledged, 
with  crimson  blushes,  that  I  had  requested  and  obtained  a 
lock  of  her  hair.  This  Mr  Somerville  told  my  father  in 
confidence.  He  was  not,  therefore,  at  liberty  to  mention 
it  to  me  ;  but  it  sufficiently  accounts  for  his  astonishment 
at  my  seeming  indifference  ;  for  the  two  worthy  parents 
had  naturally  concluded  that  it  was  a  match. 

Confounded  and  bewildered  by  my  asseveration,  my 
father  knew  not  whose  veracity  to  impeach ;  but,  charit- 
ably concluding  there  was  some  mistake,  or  that  I  was,  as 
heretofore,  a  fickle,  thoughtless  being,  considered  himself 
bound  in  honour  to  communicate  the  substance  of  our 
conversation  to  Mr  Somerville ;  and  the  latter  no  sooner 
received  it,  than  he  placed  the  letter  in  Emily's  hands — a 
very  comfortable  kind  of  avant-courier  for  a  lover,  after  an 
absence  from  his  mistress  of  full  three  years. 

I  arrived  at  the  hall,  bursting  with  impatience  to  see  the 
lovely  girl,  whose  hold  on  my  heart  and  affection  was 
infinitely  stronger  than  I  had  ever  supposed.  Darting 
from  the  chaise,  I  flew  into  the  sitting-room,  where  she 
usually  passed  her  morning.  I  was  now  in  my  twenty- 
second  year ;  my  figure  was  decidedly  of  a  handsome  cast ; 


The  Naval  Officer  213 

my  face,  what  I  knew  most  women  admired.  My  personal 
advantages  were  heightened  by  the  utmost  attention  to 
dress  ;  the  society  of  the  fair  Acadians  had  very  much 
polished  my  manners,  and  I  had  no  more  of  the  profes- 
sional roughness  of  the  sea  than  what,  like  the  crust  on 
the  port-wine,  gave  an  agreeable  flavour ;  my  countenance 
was  as  open  and  as  ingenuous  as  my  heart  was  deceitful 
and  desperately  wicked. 

Emily  rose  with  much  agitation,  and  in  an  instant  was 
clasped  in  my  arms  :  not  that  the  movement  was  voluntary 
on  her  part ;  it  was  wholly  on  mine.  She  rather  recoiled  ; 
but  for  an  instant  seemed  to  have  forgotten  the  fatal  com- 
munication which  her  father  had  made  to  her  not  two 
hours  before.  She  allowed  me — perhaps  she  could  not 
prevent  it — to  press  her  to  my  heart.  She  soon,  however, 
regained  her  presence  of  mind,  and,  gently  disengaging 
herself,  gave  vent  to  her  feelings  in  a  violent  flood  of  tears. 

Not  at  the  time  recollecting  the  conversation  with  my 
father,  much  less  suspecting  that  Emily  had  been  made 
acquainted  with  it,  I  cannot  but  confess  that  this  reception 
surprised  me.  My  caresses  were  repulsed,  as  coming  from 
one  totally  disqualified  to  take  such  freedom.  She  even 
addressed  me  as  Mr  Mildmay,  instead  of  "  Frank." 

"  What  may  all  this  mean,  my  dearest  Emily,"  said  I, 
"  after  so  long  an  absence  ?  What  can  I  have  done  to 
make  so  great  an  alteration  in  your  sentiments  ?  Is  this 
the  reward  of  affection  and  constancy  ?  Have  I  so  long 
worn  this  dear  emblem  of  your  affection  next  my  heart,  in 
battle  and  in  tempest,  to  be  spurned  from  you  like  a  cur 
on  my  return  ?  " 

I  felt  that  I  had  a  clear  right  to  boast  of  constancy ;  nor 
were  the  flirtations  of  Halifax  and  Quebec  at  all  incom- 
patible with  such  a  declaration.  The  fair  sex  will  start  at 
this  proposition  ;  but  it  is  nevertheless  true.  Emily  was  to 
me  what  the  Dutchman's  best  anchor  was  to  him — he  kept 
it  at  home,  for  fear  of  losing  it.  He  used  other  anchors 
in  different  ports,  that  answered  the  purpose  tolerably 
well  j  but  this  best  bower  he  always  intended  to  ride  by 


214  Frank  Mildmay  ;  or, 

in  the  Nieu  deep,  when  he  had  escaped  all  the  dangers 
and  quicksands  of  foreign  shores :  such  was  Emily  to  me. 
I  thought  of  her  when  in  the  very  jaws  of  the  shark  ;  I 
thought  of  her  when  I  mounted  the  rigging  in  the  hurri- 
cane ;  I  thought  of  her  when  bored  and  tormented  to 
madness  by  the  old  passing  captains  ;  all,  all  I  might  gain 
in  renown  was  for  her.  Why,  then,  traitor  like,  did  I 
deny  her  ?  For  no  other  reason  that  I  can  devise  than 
that  endless  love  of  plot  and  deceit  which  had  "  grown 
with  my  growth." 

Madame  de  Stael  has  pronounced  love  to  be  an  episode 
in  a  man's  life  ;  and  so  far  it  is  true.  There  are  as  many 
episodes  in  life  as  there  are  in  novels  and  romances  ;  but  in 
neither  case  do  they  destroy  the  general  plot  of  the  history, 
although  they  may,  for  the  time,  distract  or  divert  our 
attention.  Here,  then,  is  the  distinction  between  passion 
and  love.  I  felt  a  passion  for  Eugenia,  love  for  Emily. 
And  why  ?  Because  although  it  was  through  my  own 
persuasions  and  entreaties  that  her  scruples  had  been  over- 
come ;  although  it  was  through  her  affection  for  me  which 
would  not  allow  her  to  refuse  me  any  demand,  even  to 
the  sacrifice  of  herself,  that  Eugenia  had  fallen,  still,  in 
the  eyes  of  society,  she  had  fallen ;  and  I  did  not  offer  up 
a  pure  and  holy  love  to  that  which  was  not  accounted  pure. 
In  this  I  gave  way,  ungratefully,  to  the  heartless  casuistry 
of  the  world.  But  Emily,  enshrined  in  modesty,  with 
every  talent,  equal,  if  not  superior  charms,  defended  by 
rank  and  connection,  was  a  flower  perpetually  blooming 
on  the  stem  of  virtue,  that  it  would  have  amounted  to 
sacrilege  to  attempt  to  have  plucked ;  and  the  attempt 
itself  would  have  savoured  of  insanity,  from  the  utter 
hopelessness  of  success.  Every  sentiment  connected  with 
her  was  pure,  from  mere  selfishness.  Not  for  worlds 
would  I  have  injured  her ;  because  in  destroying  her 
peace  of  mind,  my  own  would  have  fled  for  ever.  When 
I  contemplated  our  final  union,  I  blushed  for  my  own 
unworthiness ;  and  looked  forward  to  the  day  when,  by 
repentance  and  amendment,  I  might  be  deemed  worthy  to 
lead  her  to  the  altar. 


The  Naval  Officer  21  $ 

I  had  not  time  to  pursue  these  reflections  any  farther. 
Emily  heard  my  appeal,  and  rising  from  her  seat  in  the 
most  dignified  manner,  addressed  me  in  the  commanding 
language  of  conscious  virtue  and  injured  innocence. 

"  Sir,"  said  she,  "  I  trust  I  am  too  honest  to  deceive  you, 
or  any  one;  nor  have  I  done  that  of  which  I  need  be 
ashamed.  Whatever  reasons  I  may  have  to  repent  of  my 
misplaced  confidence,  I  will  make  no  secret  of  that  which 
now  compels  me  to  change  my  opinion  of  you  ;  you  will 
find  them  amply  detailed  in  this  paper,"  at  the  same  time 
putting  into  my  hand  a  letter  from  my  father  to  Mr 
Somerville. 

In  a  moment  the  mystery  was  unravelled,  and  conviction 
flashed  in  my  face  like  the  priming  of  a  musket.  Guilty, 
and  convicted  on  the  clearest  evidence,  I  had  nothing  left 
for  it,  but  to  throw  myself  on  her  mercy ;  but  while  I 
stood  undecided,  and  unknowing  what  to  do,  Mr  Somer- 
ville entered,  and  welcomed  me  with  kind,  but  cool  hospi- 
tality. Seeing  Emily  in  tears,  and  my  father's  letter  in 
her  hand,  he  knew  that  an  eclair cissement  had  taken  place, 
or  was  in  progress.  In  this  situation,  candour,  and  an 
honest  confession  that  I  felt  a  mauvaise  honte  in  disclosing 
my  passion  to  my  father  would  undoubtedly  have  been 
my  safest  course ;  but  my  right  trusty  friend,  the  devil, 
stepped  in  to  my  assistance,  and  suggested  deceit,  or  a 
continuation  of  that  chain  by  which  he  had  long  since 
bound  me,  and  not  one  link  of  which  he  took  care  should 
ever  be  broken;  and  fortunately  for  me,  this  plan 
answered,  at  the  time,  better  than  candour. 

"I  must  acknowledge,  sir,"  said  I,  "  that  appearances 
are  against  me.  I  can  only  trust  to  your  patient  hearing, 
while  I  state  the  real  facts.  Allow  me  first  to  say,  that 
my  father's  observations  are  hardly  warranted  by  the  con- 
versation which  took  place  ;  and  if  you  will  please,  in  the 
first  place,  to  consider  that  that  very  conversation 
originated  in  my  expressing  a  wish  and  intention  of  coming 
down  to  see  you,  and  to  produce  to  your  daughter  the 
memento  so  carefully  guarded  during  my  long  absence,  you 


1 1 6  Frank  Mildmay  ;  or, 

must  perceive  that  there  is  an  incongruity  in  my  conduct, 
difficult  to  explain ;  but  still,  through  all  these  mazes  and 
windings,  I  trust  that  truth  and  constancy  will  be  found  at 
the  bottom.  You  may  probably  laugh  at  the  idea,  but 
I  really  felt  jealous  of  my  father's  praises  so  lavishly  be- 
stowed on  Miss  Somerville  •,  and  not  supposing  he  was 
aware  of  my  attachment,  I  began  to  fear  he  had  pretensions 
of  his  own.  He  is  a  widower,  healthy,  and  not  old ;  and 
it  appeared  to  me  that  he  only  Wanted  my  admiration  to 
justify  his  choice  of  a  step-mother  for  myself  and  sister. 
Thus,  between  love  for  Miss  Somerville,  and  respect  for 
my  father,  I  scarcely  knew  how  to  act.  That  I  should  for 
one  moment  have  felt  jealous  of  my  father,  I  now  acknow- 
ledge with  shame :  yet  labouring  under  the  erroneous 
supposition  of  his  attachment  to  an  object  which  had  been 
the  only  one  of  my  adoration,  I  could  not  make  up  my 
mind  to  a  disclosure,  which  I  feared  would  have  renewed 
our  differences,  and  produced  the  most  insuperable  bars  to 
our  future  reconciliation.  This  thought  burned  in  my 
brain,  and  urged  the  speed  of  the  jaded  post-horses.  If 
you  will  examine  the  drivers,  they  will  tell  you,  that  the 
whole  way  from  town,  they  have  been  stimulated  by  the 
rapping  of  a  Spanish  dollar  on  the  glass  of  the  chaise.  I 
dreaded  my  father  getting  the  start  of  me  ;  and  busy  fancy 
painted  him,  to  my  heated  imagination,  kneeling  at  the 
feet  of  my  beloved  Emily.  Condemn  me  not,  therefore, 
too  harshly ;  only  allow  me  the  same  lenient  judgment 
which  you  exercised  when  I  first  had  the  pleasure  of 
making  your  acquaintance." 

This  last  sentence  delicately  recalled  the  scene  at  the  inn, 
and  the  circumstances  of  my  first  introduction.  The  defence 
was  not  bad  ;  it  wanted  but  one  simple  ingredient  to  have 
made  it  excellent — I  mean  truth ;  but  the  court  being 
strongly  biassed  in  favour  of  the  prisoner,  I  was  acquitted, 
and  at  the  same  time,  "admonished  to  be  more  careful  in 
future."  The  reconciliation  produced  a  few  more  tears  from 
my  beloved  Emily,  who  soon  after  slipped  out  of  the  room 
to  recover  her  flurry. 


The  Naval  Officer  217 

"When  Mr  Somerville  and  myself  were  left  together,  he 
explained  to  me  the  harmless  plot  which  had  been  laid  for 
the  union  between  his  daughter  and  myself.  How  true  it 
is,  that  the  falling  out  of  lovers  is  the  renewal  of  love  ! 
The  fair,  white  hand  extended  to  me,  was  kissed  with  the 
more  rapture,  as  I  had  feared  the  losing  of  it  for  ever. 
None  enjoy  the  pleasures  of  a  secure  port,  but  he  who  has 
been  tempest  tossed,  and  in  danger  of  shipwreck. 

The  dinner  and  the  evening  were  among  the  happiest  I 
can  remember.  We  sat  but  a  short  time  over  our  wine, 
as  I  preferred  following  my  mistress  to  the  little  drawing- 
room,  where  tea  and  coffee  were  prepared,  and  where  the 
musical  instruments  were  kept.  Emily  sang  and  played  to 
me,  and  I  sang  and  accompanied  her  ;  and  I  thought  all 
the  clocks  and  watches  in  the  house  were  at  least  three 
hours  too  fast,  when,  as  it  struck  twelve,  the  signal  was 
made  to  retire. 

I  had  no  sooner  laid  my  head  on  my  pillow  than  I  began 
to  call  myself  to  a  severe  account  for  my  duplicity ;  for, 
somehow  or  other,  I  don't  know  how  it  is,  conscience  is  a 
very  difficult  sort  of  gentleman  to  deal  with.  A  tailor's 
bill  you  may  avoid  by  crossing  the  channel ;  but  the  duns 
of  conscience  follow  you  to  the  antipodes,  and  will  be 
satisfied.  I  ran  over  the  events  of  the  day ;  I  reflected 
that  I  had  been  on  the  brink  of  losing  my  Emily  by  an 
act  of  needless  and  unjustifiable  deceit  and  double-dealing. 
Sooner  or  later  I  was  convinced  that  this  part  of  my 
character  would  be  made  manifest,  and  that  shame  and 
punishment  would  overwhelm  me  in  utter  ruin.  The 
success  which  had  hitherto  attended  me  was  no  set-off 
against  the  risk  I  ran  of  losing  for  ever  this  lovely  girl, 
and  the  respect  and  esteem  of  her  father.  For  her  sake, 
therefore,  I  made  a  vow  for  ever  to  abandon  this  infernal 
system.  I  mention  this  more  particularly  as  it  was  the 
first  healthy  symptom  of  amendment  I  had  discovered, 
and  one  to  which  I  long  and  tenaciously  adhered,  as  far, 
at  least,  as  my  habits  and  pursuits  in  life  would  allow  me. 
I  forgot,  at  that  time,  that  to  be  ingenuous  it  was  necessary 


i 1 8  Frank  Mildmay  ;  or, 

to  be  virtuous.  There  is  no  cause  for  concealment  when 
we  do  not  act  wrong. 

A  letter  from  Mr  Somerville  to  my  father  explained 
my  conduct ;  and  my  father,  in  reply,  said  I  certainly 
must  have  been  mad.  To  this  I  assented,  quoting 
Shakspeare — "  the  lunatic,  the  lover,  and  the  poet,  &c. !  " 
So  long  as  I  was  out  of  the  scrape,  I  cared  little  about 
the  impeachment  of  my  rationality. 

The  days  at  the  Hall  flew,  just  like  all  the  days  of 
happy  lovers,  confoundedly  fast.  The  more  I  saw  of 
Emily,  the  firmer  and  faster  did  she  rivet  my  chains. 
I  was  her  slave :  but  what  was  best,  I  became  a  convert 
to  virtue,  because  she  was  virtuous ;  and  to  possess  her, 
I  knew  I  must  become  as  like  her  as  my  corrupt  mind 
and  unruly  habits  would  permit.  I  viewed  my  past  life 
with  shame  and  contrition.  When  I  attended  this  amiable, 
lovely  creature  to  church  on  a  Sunday,  and  saw  her  in 
the  posture  of  devotion  before  her  Maker,  I  thought  her 
an  angel,  and  I  thought  it  heaven  to  be  near  her.  All 
my  thoughts  and  sentiments  seemed  changed  and  refined 
by  her  example  and  her  company.  The  sparks  of  religion, 
so  long  buried  in  the  ashes  of  worldly  corruption  and 
infidelity,  began  to  revive.  I  recalled  my  beloved  mother 
and  the  Bible  to  my  recollection ;  and  could  I  have  been 
permitted  to  have  remained  longer  with  my  "  governess," 
I  have  no  doubt  that  I  should  have  regained  both  purity 
of  mind  and  manner.  I  should  have  bidden  adieu  to  vice 
and  folly,  because  they  could  not  have  dwelt  under  the 
same  roof  with  Emily  ;  and  I  should  have  loved  the  Bible 
and  religion,  because  they  were  beloved  by  her :  but  my 
untoward  destiny  led  me  a  different  way. 


The  Naval  Officer  219 


Chapter  XVI 

And  oft  his  smooth  and  bridled  tongue 
Would  give  the  lie  to  his  flushing  cheek  : 

He  was  a  coward  to  the  strong : 
He  was  a  tyrant  to  the  weak. 

Shelley.- 

My  father,  as  soon  as  he  had  obtained  my  promotion,  asked 
for  my  being  employed  ;  and  having  had  a  promise  from 
the  Admiralty,  that  promise,  unlike  thousands  of  its 
predecessors  and  successors,  was  too  rapidly  fulfilled. 
I  received  a  letter  from  my  father,  and  a  bouncing  one 
from    the    Admiralty,    by    the    same    post,    announcing 

officially  my  appointment  to  the  D brig,  of  eighteen 

guns,  at  Portsmouth,  whither  I  was  directed  to  repair 
immediately,  and  take  up  my  commission.  In  this  trans- 
action I  soon  after  found  there  was  an  underplot,  which 
I  was  too  green  to  perceive  at  the  time ;  but  the  wise 
heads  of  the  two  papas  had  agreed  that  a  separation 
between  the  lovers  was  absolutely  necessary,  and  that 
the  longer  it  was  delayed,  the  worse  it  would  be  for 
both  of  us  :  in  short,  that  until  I  had  attained  my  rank, 
nothing  should  be  thought  of  in  the  way  of  matrimony. 

As  the  reader  is,  no  doubt,  by  this  time  pretty  well 
versed  in  all  the  dialogue  of  parting  lovers,  I  shall  not 
intrude  upon  his  or  her  patience  with  a  repetition  of  that 
which  has  been  much  too  often  repeated,  and  is  equally 
familiar  to  the  prince  and  the  ploughman.  I  should  as 
soon  think  of  describing  the  Devil's  Punch  Bowl,  on  the 
road  to  Portsmouth,  where  I  arrived  two  days  after  my 
appointment. 

I  put  up  at  Billett's,  at  the  George,  as  a  matter,  of 
course,  because  it  was  the  resort  of  all  the  naval  aristocracy, 
and  directly  opposite  to  the  admiral's  office.  The  first 
person  for  whom  I  made  my  kind  inquiries  was  my  captain 
elect  j   but   he   herded   not   with  his   brother   epaulettes. 


220  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

He  did  not  live  at  the  George,  nor  did  he  mess  at  the 
Crown ;  he  was  not  at  the  Fountain,  nor  the  Parade 
Coffee-house ;  and  the  Blue  Posts  ignored  him ;  but  he 
was  to  be  heard  of  at  the  Star  and  Garter,  on  the  tip  of 
Portsmouth  Point.  He  did  not  even  live  there,  but 
generally  resided  on  board.  This  does  not  savour  well ; 
I  never  like  your  captains  who  live  on  board  their  ships 
in  harbour  ;  no  ship  can  be  comfortable,  for  no  one  can 
do  as  he  pleases,  which  is  the  life  and  soul  of  a  man-of- 
war,  when  in  port. 

To  the  Star  and  Garter  I  went,  and  asked  for  Captain 
G.  I  hoped  I  should  not  find  him  here ;  for  this  house 
had  been,  time  out  of  mind,  the  rendezvous  of  warrant- 
officers,  mates,  and  midshipmen.  Here,  however,  he  was ; 
I  sent  up  my  card,  and  was  admitted  to  his  presence.  He 
was  seated  in  a  small  parlour,  with  a  glass  of  brandy  and 
water,  or  at  least  the  remains  of  it,  before  him ;  his  feet 
were  on  the  fender,  and  several  official  documents  which 
he  had  received  that  morning  were  lying  on  the  table. 
He  rose  as  I  entered,  and  shewed  me  a  short,  square-built 
frame,  with  a  strong  projection  of  the  sphere,  or  what  the 
Spaniards  call  bariga.  This  rotundity  of  corporation  was, 
however,  supported  by  as  fine  a  pair  of  Atlas  legs  as  ever 
were  worn  by  a  Bath  chairman.  His  face  was  rather 
inclined  to  be  handsome ;  the  features  regular,  a  pleasant 
smile  upon  his  lips,  and  a  deep  dimple  in  his  chin.  But 
his  most  remarkable  feature  was  his  eye ;  it  was  small, 
but  piercing,  and  seemed  to  possess  that  long-sought 
desideratum  of  the  perpetual  motion,  since  it  was  utterly 
impossible  to  fix  it  for  one  moment  on  any  object :  and 
there  was  in  it  a  lurking  expression,  which,  though  some- 
thing of  a  physiognomist,  I  could  not  readily  decipher. 

"  Mr  Mildmay,"  said  my  skipper,  "I  am  extremely 
happy  to  see  you,  and  still  more  so  that  you  have  been 
appointed  to  my  ship  ;  will  you  be  seated  ?  " 

As  I  obeyed,  he  turned  round,  and,  rubbing  his  hands, 
as  if  he  had  just  laid  down  his  soap,  he  continued,  "I 
always  make  it  a  rule,  previous  to  an  officer  joining  my 


The  Naval  Officer  221 

ship,  to  learn  something  of  his  character  from  my  brother 
captains ;  it  is  a  precaution  which  I  take,  as  I  consider  that 
one  scabby  sheep,  &c.  is  strictly  applicable  to  our  service. 
I  wish  to  have  good  officers  and  perfect  gentlemen  about 
me.  There  are,  no  doubt,  many  officers  who  can  do 
their  duty  well,  and  with  whom  I  should  have  no  fault 
to  find ;  but  then  there  is  a  way  of  doing  it — a  modus  in 
rebus,  which  a  gentleman  only  can  attain  to ;  coarse 
manners,  execrations,  and  abusive  language  render  the 
men  discontented,  degrade  the  service,  and  are  therefore 
very  properly  forbidden  in  the  second  article  of  war. 
Under  such  officers,  the  men  always  work  unwillingly. 
I  have  taken  the  liberty  to  make  some  inquiries  about 
you  ;  and  can  only  say,  that  all  I  have  heard  is  to  your 
advantage.  I  have  no  doubt  we  shall  suit  each  other  y 
and  be  assured  it  shall  be  my  study  to  make  you  as 
comfortable  as  possible." 

To  this  very  sensible  and  polite  address,  I  made  a 
suitable  reply.  He  then  stated  that  he  expected  to  sail 
in  a  few  days ;  that  the  officer  whom  I  was  to  supersede 
had  not  exactly  suited  his  ideas,  although  he  believed 
him  to  be  a  very  worthy  young  man  •,  and  that,  in  con- 
sequence, he  had  applied  and  succeeded  in  obtaining  for 
him  another  appointment  ;  that  it  was  necessary  he  should 
join  his  ship  immediately ;  but,  of  course,  he  must  first 
be  superseded  by  me.  "  Therefore,"  said  he,  "you  had 
better  meet  me  on  board  the  brig  to-morrow  morning 
at  nine  o'clock,  when  your  commission  shall  be  read ; 
and  after  that  I  beg  you  will  consider  yourself  your  own 
master  for  a  few  days,  as  I  presume  you  have  some  little 
arrangements  to  prepare  for  your  cruise.  I  am  aware," 
pursued  he,  smiling  most  benignantly,  "  that  there  are 
many  little  comforts  which  officers  wish  to  attend  to  ; 
such  as  fitting  their  cabins  and  looking  to  their  mess, 
and  a  thousand  other  nameless  things,  which  tend  to 
pass  the  time  and  break  up  the  monotony  of  a  sea-life. 
Forty  years  have  I  trod  the  king's  planks,  man  and  boy, 
and  not  with    any   great   success,  as   you   may  perceive, 


222  Frank  Mildmay  ;  or, 

by  the  rank  I  now  hold,  and  the  life  I  am  leading  ;  for 
here  I  sit  over  a  glass  of  humble  grog,  instead  of  joining 
my  brother  captains  in  their  claret  at  the  Crown;  but 
I  have  two  sisters  to  support,  and  I  feel  more  satisfaction 
in  doing  my  duty  as  a  brother,  than  indulging  my 
appetite  ;  although  I  own  I  have  no  dislike  to  a  glass 
of  claret,  when  it  does  not  come  before  me  in  a  question- 
able shape  :  I  mean  when  I  have  not  got  to  pay  for  it, 
which  I  cannot  afford.  Now  do  not  let  me  take  up  any 
more  of  your  time.  You  have  plenty  of  acquaintances 
that  you  wish  to  see,  I  have  no  doubt ;  and  as  for  my 
yarns,  they  will  do  to  pass  away  a  watch,  when  we 
have  nothing  more  attractive  to  divert  us."  So  saying, 
he  held  out  his  hand,  and  shook  mine  most  cordially. 
"  To-morrow,  at  nine  o'clock,"  he  repeated ;  and  I  left 
him,  much  pleased  with  my  interview. 

I  went  back  to  my  inn,  thinking  what  a  very  fortunate 
fellow  I  was  to  have  such  an  honest,  straight-forward, 
bold,  British  hero  of  a  captain,  on  my  first  appointment. 
I  ordered  my  dinner  at  the  George,  and  then  strolled  out 
to  make  my  purchases,  and  give  my  orders  for  a  few 
articles  for  sea  service.  I  fell  in  with  several  old  mess- 
mates ;  they  congratulated  me  on  my  promotion,  and 
declared  I  should  give  them  a  dinner  to  wet  my  com- 
mission, to  which  I  readily  consented.  The  day  was 
named,  and  Mr  Billett  was  ordered  to  provide  accordingly. 

Having  dined  solus,  I  amused  myself  in  writing  a  long 
letter  to  my  dear  Emily ;  and  with  the  assistance  of  a 
bottle  of  wine,  succeeded  in  composing  a  tolerably  warm 
and  rapturous  sort  of  a  document,  which  I  sealed,  kissed, 
and  sent  to  the  post-office  j  after  which,  I  built  castles 
till  bed  time  ;  but  not  one  castle  did  I  build,  in  which 
Emily  was  not  the  sole  mistress.  I  went  to  bed,  and 
slept  soundly  ;  and  the  next  morning,  by  seven  o'clock, 
I  was  arrayed  in  a  spick-span  new  uniform,  with  an 
immensely  large  epaulette  stuck  on  my  right  shoulder. 
Having  breakfasted,  I  sallied  out,  and,  in  my  own  conceit, 
was  as  handsome  a   chap  as  ever  buckled  a  sword  belt. 


The  Naval  Officer  223 

I  skimmed  with  a  light  and  vigorous  foot  down  High- 
street. 

"  Boat,  your  honour  ? "  said  a  dozen  voices  at  once, 
as  I  reached  New  Sallyport  ;  but  I  was  resolved  that 
Point-street  should  have  a  look  at  me,  as  well  as  High- 
street  ;  so  I  kept  a  profound  and  mysterious  silence, 
and  let  the  watermen  follow  me  to  Point,  just  like  so 
many  sucking  fish  after  a  shark.  I  had  two  or  three 
offers  for  volunteers  to  serve  with  me  as  I  went  along  ; 
but  they  were  not  of  the  right  sex,  so  I  did  not  take 
them. 

"  Boat  to  Spithead,  your  honour  ?  "  said  a  tough  old 
waterman. 

"Ay,  you'll  do,"  said  I;  so  I  jumped  into  his  wherry, 
and  we  shoved  off. 

"  What  ship  is  your  honour  going  to  ?  "  said  the  man. 

"  To  the  D brig." 

"  Oh,  you  are  a-going  to  she,  are  you  ?  To  belong  to 
her,  mayhap  ? " 

"  Yes,"  I  replied. 

The  waterman  gave  a  sigh,  feathered  his  oar,  and  never 
spoke  another  word  till  we  came  alongside.  I  did  not 
regret  his  taciturnity,  for  I  was  always  more  amused  with 
my  own  thoughts,  than  in  conversing  with  illiterate  people. 

The  brig  was  a  most  beautiful  vessel.  She  mounted 
eighteen  guns,  and  sat  on  the  water  like  a  duck.  I  per- 
ceived that  the  pendant  was  up  for  punishment,  and  this  I 
thought  rather  an  unusual  sight  at  Spithead :  I  took  it  for 
granted  that  some  aggravated  offence,  such  as  theft,  or 
mutiny,  had  been  committed.  Seeing  I  was  an  officer,  I 
was  admitted  alongside  ;  so  I  paid  the  waterman,  and  sent 
him  away.  As  I  went  up  the  side,  I  saw  a  poor  fellow 
spread-eagled  up  to  the  grating,  "  according  to  the  manners 
and  customs  of  the  natives,"  while  the  captain,  officers, 
and  ship's  company  stood  round  witnessing  the  athletic 
dexterity  of  a  boatswain's  mate,  who,  by  the  even,  deep, 
and  parallel  marks  of  the  cat  on  the  white  back  and 
shoulders  of  the  patient,  seemed  to  be  perfectly  master  of 


224  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

his  business.  All  this  did  not  surprise  me :  I  was  used  to 
it  5  but  after  the  address  of  my  captain  on  the  preceding 
day,  I  was  very  much  surprised  to  hear  language  in  direct 
violation  of  the  second  article  of  war. 

Cursings  and  execrations  poured  out  of  his  mouth  with 
a  volubility  equal  to  any  the  most  accomplished  lady  on 
the  back  of  the  Point. 

"  Boatswain's  mate,"  roared  the  captain,  "  do  your  duty, 
or  by  G —  I  will  have  you  up,  and  give  you  four  dozen 
yourself.  One  would  think,  d — n  your  b — d,  that  you 
were  brushing  flies  off  a  sleeping  Venus,  instead  of  punish- 
ing a  scoundrel,  with  a  hide  as  thick  as  a  buffalo's,  and  be 
d — d  to  him — do  your  duty,  Sir,  d — n  your  soul." 

During  this  elegant  address,  the  unhappy  wretch  had 
received  four  severe  dozen,  which  the  master-at-arms  had 
counted  aloud,  and  reported  to  the  captain.  "  Another 
boatswain's  mate,"  said  he.  The  poor  creature  turned  his 
head  over  his  shoulders  with  an  imploring  look,  but  it  was 
in  vain.  I  watched  the  countenance  of  the  captain,  and 
the  peculiar  expression,  which  I  could  not  decipher  at  my 
first  interview,  I  now  read  most  plainly :  it  was  malignant 
cruelty,  and  delight  in  torturing  his  own  species ;  he 
seemed  to  take  a  diabolical  pleasure  in  the  hateful  opera- 
tion which  we  were  compelled  to  witness.  The  second 
boatswain's  mate  commenced,  with  a  fresh  cat,  and  gave  a 
lash  across  the  back  of  the  prisoner,  that  made  me  start. 

"  One,"  said  the  master-at-arms,  beginning  to  count. 

"  One  !  "  roared  the  captain  ;  "do  you  call  that  one  ? 
not  a  quarter  of  a  one.  That  fellow  is  only  fit  for  fiy- 
fiapper  at  a  pork  shop  !  I'll  disrate  you,  by  G — d,  you 
d — d  Molly  Mop  •,  is  that  the  way  you  handle  a  cat ;  that's 
only  wiping  the  dirt  off  his  back.  Where's  the  boat- 
swain ? " 

"  Here,"  said  a  stout,  gigantic,  left-handed  fellow, 
stepping  forward,  with  a  huge  blue  uniform  coat  and  a 
plain  anchor  button,  holding  his  hat  in  his  left  hand,  and 
stroking  his  hair  down  his  forehead  with  his  right.  I 
surveyed  this  man,  as  he  turned  himself  about,  and  con- 


The  Naval  Officer 


225 


eluded,  that  the  tailor  who  worked  for  him  had  been 
threatened  with  a  specimen  of  his  art,  if  he  stinted  him  in 
cloth ;  for  the  skirts  of  his  coat  were  ample,  terminating 
in  an  inclined  plane,  the  corners  in  front  being  much  lower 
than  the  middle  of  the  robe  behind  'r  the  buttons  on  the 
hips  were  nearly  pistol  shot  asunder. 

"  Give  this  man  a  dozen,  Sir,"  said  Captain  G. ;  "  and 
if  you  favour  him,  I'll  put  you  under  arrest,  and  stop  your 
liquor." 

This  last  part  of  the  threat  had  more  effect  with  Mr 
Pipes  than  the  first.  He  began  to  peel,  as  the  boxers  call 
it ;  off  came  his  capacious  coat ;  a  red  waistcoat — full- 
sized  for  a  Smithfield  ox — was  next  deposited  ;  then  he 
untied  a  black  silk  handkerchief,  and  showed  a  throat, 
covered  like  that  of  a  goat,  with  long  brown  hairs,  thick 
as  pack-thread.  He  next  rolled  up  his  shirt-sleeves  above 
his  elbow,  and  showed  an  arm  and  a  back  very  like  the 
Farnese  Hercules,  which,  no  doubt,  all  my  readers  have 
seen  at  the  foot  of  the  staircase  at  Somerset-house,  when 
they  have  been  to  the  exhibition. 

This  hopeful  commentator  on  articles  of  war,  seized  his 
cat :  the  handle  was  two  feet  long,  one  inch  and  three 
quarters  thick,  and  covered  with  red  baize.  The  tails  of 
this  terrific  weapon  were  three  feet  long,  nine  in  number, 
and  each  of  them  about  the  size  of  that  line  which  covers 
the  springs  of  a  travelling  carriage.  Mr  Pipes,  whose 
scientific  display  in  this  part  of  his  art,  had  no  doubt  pro- 
cured for  him  the  warrant  of  a  boatswain,  in  virtue  of 
which  he  now  stood  as  the  vindicator  of  the  laws  of  his 
country,  handled  his  cat  like  an  adept,  looked  at  it  from 
top  to  bottom,  cleared  all  the  tails,  by  the  insertion  of 
his  delicate  fingers,  and  combing  them  out,  stretched  out 
his  left  leg — for  he  was  left-legged  as  well  as  left-handed 
— and  measuring  his  distance  with  the  accurate  eye  of  an 
engineer,  raised  his  cat  high  in  air  with  his  left  hand, 
his  right  still  holding  the  tips  of  the  tails,  as  if  to  restrain 
their  impatience ;  when,  giving  his  arm  and  body  a  full 
swing,  embracing  three-fourths  of  the  circle,  he  inflicted 
M  p 


226  Frank  Mildmay  ;  or, 

a  tremendous  stroke  on  the  back  of  the  unfortunate  culprit. 
This  specimen  seemed  to  satisfy  the  amateur  captain,  who 
nodded  approbation  to  the  inquiring  look  of  the  amateur 
boatswain.  The  poor  man  lost  his  respiration  from  the 
force  of  the  blow  ;  and  the  tails  of  the  cat  coming  from  an 
opposite  direction  to  the  first  four  dozen,  cut  the  flesh 
diamond-wise,  bringing  the  blood  at  every  blow. 

I  will  not  wound  the  feelings  of  my  readers  with  a 
description  of  the  poor  wretch's  situation.  Even  at  this 
distance  of  time,  I  am  shocked  at  it,  and  bitterly  lament 
the  painful  necessity  I  have  often  been  under  of  inflicting 
similar  punishment ;  but  I  hope  and  trust  I  never  did  it 
without  a  cause,  or  in  the  wanton  display  of  arbitrary 
power. 

The  last  dozen  being  finished,  the  sum  total  was  re- 
ported by  the  master-at-arms,  "  five  dozen." 

"  Five  dozen  !  "  repeated  Captain   G ;   "  that  will 

do — cast  him  off.  And  now,  sir,"  said  he,  to  the  fainting 
wretch,  "  I  hope  this  will  be  a  warning  to  you,  that  the 
next  time  you  wish  to  empty  your  beastly  mouth,  you  will 
not  spit  on  my  quarter-deck." 

"Heavens  !  "  thought  I,  "is  all  this  for  spitting  on  the 
quarter-deck  ?  and  this,  from  the  moralist  of  yesterday, 
who  allowed  neither  oaths  nor  execrations,  and  has  uttered 
more  blasphemy  in  the  last  ten  minutes,  than  I  have  heard 
for  the  last  ten  weeks  ? " 

I  had  not  yet  caught  the  captain's  eye — he  was  too 
intent  on  his  amusement.  As  soon  as  the  prisoner  was 
cast  loose,  he  commanded  to  pipe  down,  or  in  other  words, 
to  dismiss  the  people  to  their  usual  occupations,  when  I 
went  up  to  him,  and  touched  my  hat. 

"  Oh  !  you  are  come,  are  you  ?  Pipe,  belay  there — 
send  every  body  aft  on  the  quarter-deck." 

My  commission  was  then  read :  all  hats  off  in  respect  to 
the  sovereign,  from  whom  the  authority  was  derived. 
After  this,  I,  being  duly  inaugurated,  became  the  second 
lieutenant  of  the  sloop ;  and  the  captain,  without  conde- 
scending to  give  me  another  word  or  look,  ordered  his  gig 


The  Naval  Officer  227 

to  be  manned,  and  was  going  on  shore.  I  was  not  pre- 
sented by  him  to  any  of  the  officers,  which,  in  common 
courtesy,  he  ought  to  have  done.  This  omission,  how- 
ever, was  supplied  by  the  first  lieutenant,  who  invited  me 
down  into  the  gun-room,  to  introduce  me  to  my  new  mess- 
mates. We  left  the  tiger  pacing  up  and  down  on  his 
quarter-deck. 

The  first  lieutenant  was  of  the  medium  stature,  a 
suitable  height  for  a  sloop  of  war,  a  spare  figure  of  about 
forty  years  of  age  ;  he  had  but  one  eye,  and  that  eye  was 
as  odd  a  one  as  the  captain's.  There  was  in  it,  however, 
unlike  the  captain's,  an  infinite  deal  of  humour,  and  when 
he  cocked  it,  as  he  constantly  did,  it  almost  spoke.  I 
never  saw  three  such  eyes  in  two  such  heads.  There 
was  a  lurking  smile  in  the  lieutenant's  face,  when  I  told 
him  that  the  captain  had  desired  me  to  come  on  board 
and  read  my  commission,  after  which  I  might  have  two 
or  three  days  to  myself  to  prepare  for  sea. 

"Well,"  said  he,  "you  had  better  go  and  ask  him 
now ;  but  you  will  find  him  a  rum  one." 

Accordingly,  up  I  went  to  him.  "  Have  you  any 
objection  to  my  going  on  shore,  Sir  ?  " 

"  Shore,  Sir !  "  bellowed  he  ;  "  and  who  the  devil  is 
to  carry  on  the  duty,  if  you  go  on  shore  ?  Shore,  eh  ! 
I  wish  there  was  no  shore,  and  then  d — n  the  dog  that 
couldn't  swim !  No,  Sir ;  you  have  had  shore  enough. 
The  service  is  going  to  h — 1,  Sir !  A  parcel  of  brats, 
with  lieutenants'  commissions  before  they  should  have 
been  clear  of  the  nursery  !  No,  Sir :  stay  on  board,  or, 
d — n  me,  I'll  break  you,  like  an  egg-shell,  before  you 
have  taken  the  shine  out  of  that  fine  new  epaulette ! 
No,  no,  by  G — ;  no  more  cats  here  than  catch  mice. 
You  stay  on  board,  and  do  your  duty :  every  man  does 
his  duty  here  ;  and  let  me  see  the that  don't  do  it !  " 

I  was  in  some  measure  prepared  for  this  sublime 
harangue  j  but  still  there  was  sufficient  room  in  my  mind 
to  admit  of  great  astonishment  at  this  sudden  change  of 
wind.     I  replied  that  he  had  promised  me  leave  yesterday, 


228  Frank  Mildmay  ;  or, 

and  that,  upon  the  strength  of  that  promise,  I  had  left  all 
my  things  on  shore,  and  that  I  was  not  in  any  way  pre- 
pared to  go  to  sea. 

"  I  promised  you  leave,  did  I  ?  Perhaps  I  did  ;  but 
that  was  only  to  get  you  on  board.  I  am  up  to  your 
tricks,  you  d — d  young  chaps :  when  you  get  on  shore, 
there  is  no  getting  you  off  again.  No,  no ;  no-catchee 
no-habee !  You  would  not  have  made  your  appearance 
these  three  days,  if  I  hadn't  sugared  the  trap !  Now  I 
have  got  you,  I'll  keep  you,  d — n  my  eyes  !  " 

I  repeated  my  request  to  go  on  shore  j  but,  without 
condescending  to  offer  any  farther  reasons,  he  answered — 

"I'd  see  you  d — d  first,  Sir!  And  observe,  I  never 
admit  of  expostulation.  Nothing  affords  me  more  pleasure 
than  to  oblige  my  officers  in  every  thing  reasonable  j  but 
I  never  permit  reply." 

Thought  I  to  myself,  "  You  certainly  have  escaped 
from  hell,  and  I  do  not  see  how  the  infernal  regions  can 
do  without  you.  You  would  have  been  one  of  the  most 
ingenious  tormentors  of  the  damned.  Domitian  would 
have  made  you  admiral,  and  your  boatswain  captain  of 
the  fleet !  " 

Having  made  this  reflection,  as  I  took  a  turn  or  two 
on  deck,  thinking  what  was  best  to  be  done,  and  knowing 
that  "  the  king  could  do  no  wrong,"  the  officer  whom  I 
had  just  superseded  came  up  the  hatchway,  and,  touching 
his  hat  very  respectfully  to  the  captain,  asked  whether  he 
might  go  on  shore. 

"  You  may  go  to  hell,  and  be  d — d,  Sir !  "  said  the 
captain  (who  hated  bad  language)  •,  "  you  are  not  fit  to 
carry  guts  to  a  bear ! — you  are  not  worth  your  salt ;  and 
the  sooner  you  are  off,  the  cleaner  the  ship  will  be ! 
Don't  stand  staring  at  me,  like  a  bull  over  a  gate ! 
Down,  and  pack  up  your  traps,  or  I'll  freshen  your 
way  ! "  raising  his  foot  at  the  same  time,  as  if  he  was 
going  to  kick  him. 

The  young  officer,  who  was  a  mild,  gentlemanly,  and 
courageous  youth,  did  as  he  was  bidden.     I  was  perfectly 


The  Naval  Officer  229 

astonished  :  I  had  been  accustomed  to  sail  with  gentlemen. 
I  had  heard  of  martinets,  and  disciplinarians,  and  foul- 
mouthed  captains ;  but  this  outdid  aJl  I  ever  could  have 
conceived,  and  much  more  than  I  thought  ever  could 
have  been  submitted  to  by  any  correct  officer.  Roused 
to  indignation,  and  determined  not  to  be  treated  in  this 
manner,  I  again  walked  up  to  him,  and  requested  leave 
to  go  on  shore. 

"  You  have  had  your  answer,  Sir." 

"  Yes,  I  have,  Sir,"  said  I,  "  and  in  language  that  I 
never  before  heard  on  his  Majesty's  quarter-deck.  I 
joined  this  ship  as  an  officer  and  a  gentleman,  and  as  such 
I  will  be  treated." 

"  Mutiny,  by  G — !  "  roared  the  captain.  "  Cock-a-hoop 
with  your  new  commission,  before  the  ink  is  dry  !  " 

"  As  you  please,  Sir,"  I  replied ;  "  but  I  shall  write 
a  letter  to  the  port-admiral,  stating  the  circumstances  and 
requesting  leave  of  absence  ;  and  that  letter  I  shall  trouble 
you  to  forward." 

"  I'll  be  d— d  if  I  do!  "said  he. 

"  Then,  Sir,"  said  I,  "as  you  have  refused  to  forward 
it,  and  in  the  presence  of  all  the  officers  and  ship's  company, 
I  shall  forward  it  without  troubling  you." 

This  last  shot  of  mine  seemed  to  produce  the  same 
effect  upon  him  that  the  last  round  does  upon  a  beaten 
boxer ;  he  did  not  come  to  time,  but,  muttering  some- 
thing, dived  down  the  companion,  and  went  into  his 
cabin. 

The  first  lieutenant  now  came  up,  and  congratulated 
me  on  my  victory.  "  You  have  puzzled  and  muzzled  the 
bear  completely,"  said  he;  "I  have  long  wanted  a  coad- 
jutor like  yourself.  Wilson,  who  is  going  to  leave  us,  is 
the  best  creature  that  ever  lived  :  but  though  brave  as 
a  lion  before  an  enemy,  he  is  cowed  by  this  incarnate 
devil." 

Our  conversation  was  interrupted  by  a  message  from 
the  captain,  who  desired  to  speak  with  me  in  his  cabin. 
I  went  down ;  he  received  me  with  the  benignant  smile  of 
our  first  acquaintance. 


230  Frank  Mildmay  ;  or, 

"  Mr  Mildmay,"  said  he,  "  I  always  assume  a  little 
tartness  with  my  officers  when  they  first  join "  ("  and 
when  they  quit  you  too,"  thought  I),  "  not  only  to  prove 
to  them  that  I  am,  and  will  be  the  captain  of  my  own  ship, 
but  also  as  an  example  to  the  men,  who,  when  they  see 
what  the  officers  are  forced  to  put  up  with,  feel  themselves 
more  contented  with  their  lot,  and  obey  more  readily  ;  but, 
as  I  told  you  before,  the  comfort  of  my  officers  is  my 
constant  study — you  are  welcome  to  go  ashore,  and  have 
twenty-four  hours'  leave  to  collect  your  necessaries." 

To  this  harangue  I  made  no  reply  ;  but,  touching  my 
hat,  quitted  the  cabin.  I  felt  so  much  contempt  for  the 
man  that  I  was  afraid  to  speak,  lest  I  should  commit 
myself. 

The  captain  shortly  after  quitted  the  ship,  telling  the 
first  lieutenant  that  I  had  permission  to  go  on  shore.  I 
was  now  left  at  liberty  to  make  acquaintance  with  my 
companions  in  misery — and  nothing  conduces  to  intimacy 
so  much  as  community  of  suffering.  My  resistance  to  the 
brutality  of  our  common  taskmaster  had  pleased  them ; 
they  told  me  what  a  tyrant  and  what  a  disgrace  to  the 
service  he  was,  and  how  shameful  it  was  that  he  should  be 
entrusted  with  the  command  of  so  fine  a  vessel,  or  of  any 
vessel  at  all,  except  it  were  a  convict  ship.  The  stories 
they  told  me  of  him  were  almost  incredible,  and  nothing 
but  the  too  well  founded  idea,  that  an  officer  trying  his 
captain  by  a  court-martial,  had  a  black  mark  against  him 
for  ever  after,  and  was  never  known  to  rise,  could  have 
saved  this  man  from  the  punishment  he  so  richly  deserved : 
no  officer,  they  said,  had  been  more  than  three  weeks  in 
the  ship,  and  they  were  all  making  interest  to  leave  her. 

In  my  report  of  what  occurred  in  this  vessel  during  the 
time  I  belonged  to  her,  I  must,  in  justice  to  the  captains 
and  commanders  of  his  Majesty's  navy  observe,  that  the 
case  was  unique  of  its  kind — such  a  character  as  Captain 

G was    rarely   met    with    in    the    navy   then,    and, 

for  reasons  which  I  shall  give,  will  be  still  more  rare  in 
future.     The  first  lieutenant  told  me  that  I  had  acted  very 


The  Naval  Officer  231 

judiciously  in  resisting  at  first  his  undue  exertion  of 
authority ;  that  he  was  at  once  a  tyrant,  a  bully,  and 
a  coward,  and  would  be  careful  how  he  attacked  me  again. 
"But  be  on  your  guard,"  said  he,  "he  will  never  forgive 
you  ;  and,  when  he  is  most  agreeable,  there  is  the  most 
mischief  to  be  dreaded.  He  will  lull  you  into  security, 
and,  whenever  he  can  catch  you  tripping,  he  will  try  you 
by  a  court-martial.  You  had  better  go  on  shore,  and 
settle  all  your  business,  and,  if  possible,  be  on  board  before 
your  leave  is  out.  It  was  only  your  threat  of  writing  to 
the  port-admiral  that  procured  you  leave  of  absence.  You 
have  nothing  to  thank  him  for  :  he  would  have  kept  you 
on  board  if  he  dared.  I  have  never  quitted  the  ship  since 
I  joined  her  ;  and  never  has  a  day  passed  without  a  scene 
similar  to  what  you  have  this  morning  witnessed.  And 
yet,"  continued  he,  "  if  it  were  not  for  his  cruelty  to  the 
men,  he  is  the  most  amusing  liar  I  ever  heard.  I  am  often 
more  inclined  to  laugh  than  to  be  angry  at  him ;  he  has 
a  vein  of  wit  and  rich  humour  that  runs  through  his 
composition,  and  never  quits  him.  There  is  drollery  even 
in  his  malice,  and,  if  we  cannot  get  clear  of  him,  we  must 
make  the  best  of  him." 

I  went  on  shore,  collected  all  my  clothes  and  the  other 
articles  of  which  I  stood  in  need,  and  was  on  board  my 
ship  again  the  next  morning  before  eight  o'clock. 


Chapter  XVII 

He  will  lie,  Sir,  with  such  volubility,  that  you  would  think  truth  were  a 
fool :  drunkenness  is  his  best  virtue  ;  for  he  will  be  swine-drunk  ;  and 
in  his  sleep  he  does  little  harm. — Shakspeare. 

When  Captain  G made  his  appearance,  he  seemed 

to  be  in  the  most  amiable  humour  possible.  As  soon  as 
he  saw  me,  he  said,  "  Ah,  this  is  what  I  like ;  never 
break  your  leave  even  for  five  minutes.     Now  that  I  see 


232  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

I  can  trust  you,  you  may  go  on  shore  again  as  soon  as  you 
please." 

This  speech  might  have  done  very  well  to  any  person 
before  the  mast ;  but  as  applied  to  an  officer,  I  thought 
it  rude  and  ungentlemanly. 

The  caterer  had  prepared  lunch  in  the  gun-room :  it 
consisted  of  beef-steaks  and  broiled  bullocks'  kidneys, 
with  fried  onions ;  and  their  savoury  smell  rose  in  grateful 
steams  up  the  skylight,  and  assailed  the  nostrils  of  the 
skipper.  His  facetious  small-talk  knew  no  bounds ;  he 
leaned  over  the  frame,  and,  looking  down,  said — 

"  I  say,  something  devilish  good  going  on  there 
below!" 

The  hint  was  taken,  and  the  first  lieutenant  invited 
him  down. 

"  I  don't  care  if  I  do;  I  am  rather  peckish." 

So  saying,  he  was  down  the  hatchway  in  the  twinkling 
of  one  of  his  own  funny  eyes,  as  he  feared  the  choice  bits 
would  be  gone  before  he  could  get  into  action.  We  all 
followed  him ;  and  as  he  seated  himself,  he  said — 

"  I  trust,  gentlemen,  this  is  not  the  last  time  I  shall 
sit  in  the  gun-room,  and  that  you  will  all  consider  my 
cabin  as  your  own.  I  love  to  make  my  officers  comfort- 
able :  nothing  more  delightful  than  a  harmonious  ship, 
where  every  man  and  boy  is  ready  to  go  to  h — 1  for 
his  officers.  That's  what  I  call  good  fellowship — give 
and  take — make  proper  allowances  for  one  another's 
failings,  and  we  shall  be  sorry  when  the  time  comes  for 
us  to  part.  I  am  afraid,  however,  that  I  shall  not  be 
long  with  you ;   for,  though  I  doat  upon  the  brig,  the 

Duke  of  N and  Lord  George ,  have  given  the 

first  Lord  a  d — d  ivhigging  for  not  promoting  me  sooner  ; 
and,  between  ourselves,  I  don't  wish  to  go  farther.  My 
post  commission  goes  out  with  me  to  Barbadoes." 

The  first  lieutenant  cocked  his  eye  ;  and  quick  as  were 
the  motions  of  that  eye,  the  captain,  with  a  twist  of  one 
of  his  own,  caught  a  glimpse  of  it,  before  it  could  be 
returned  to  its   bearing  on   the  central  object,  the  beef- 


The  Naval  Officer  233 

steaks,  kidneys,  and  onions.  But  it  passed  off  without 
remark. 

"  A  very  capital  steak  this  !  I'll  trouble  you  for  some 
fat  and  a  little  gravy.  We'll  have  some  jollification  when 
we  get  to  sea ;  but  we  must  get  into  blue  water  first : 
then  we  shall  have  less  to  do.  Talking  of  broiling 
steaks,  when  I  was  in  Egypt,  we  used  to  broil  our  beef- 
steaks on  the  rocks — no  occasion  for  fire — thermometer 
at  200 — hot  as  h — 1 !  I  have  seen  four  thousand  men 
at  a  time  cooking  for  the  whole  army  as  much  as  twenty 
or  thirty  thousand  pounds  of  steaks  at  a  time,  all  hissing 
and  frying  at  a  time — just  about  noon,  of  course,  you 
know — not  a  spark  of  fire  !  Some  of  the  soldiers,  who 
had  been  brought  up  as  glass-blowers,  at  Leith,  swore 
they  never  saw  such  heat.  I  used  to  go  to  leeward  of 
them  for  a  whiff,  and  think  of  old  England  !  Ah,  that's 
the  country,  after  all,  where  a  man  may  think  and  say 
what  he  pleases  !  But  that  sort  of  work  did  not  last 
long,  as  you  may  suppose  ;  their  eyes  were  all  fried  out, 
d — n  me,  in  three  or  four  weeks  !  I  had  been  ill  in 
my  bed,  for  I  was  attached  to  the  72nd  regiment, 
seventeen  hundred  strong.  I  had  a  party  of  seamen  with 
me ;  but  the  ophthalmia  made  such  ravages,  that  the 
whole  regiment,  colonel  and  all,  went  stone  blind — all, 
except  one  corporal !  You  may  stare,  gentlemen,  but 
it's  very  true.  Well,  this  corporal  had  a  precious  time 
of  it :  he  was  obliged  to  lead  out  the  whole  regiment 
to  water — he  led  the  way,  and  two  or  three  took  hold 
of  the  skirts  of  his  jacket,  on  each  side  ;  the  skirts  of 
these  were  seized  again  by  as  many  more  ;  and  double 
the  number  to  the  last,  and  so  all  held  on  by  one  another, 
till  they  had  all  had  a  drink  at  the  well ;  and,  as  the 
devil  would  have  it,  there  was  but  one  well  among  us 
all — so  this  corporal  used  to  water  the  regiment  just  as 
a  groom  waters  his  horses  ;  and  all  spreading  out,  you 
know,  just  like  the  tail  of  a  peacock." 

"  Of  which  the  corporal  was  the  rump,"  interrupted  the 
doctor. 


234  Frank  Mildmay  ;  or, 

The  captain  looked  grave. 

"  You  found  it  warm  in  that  country  ?  "  inquired  the 
surgeon. 

"  Warm  !  "  exclaimed  the  captain ;  "  I'll  tell  you  what, 
doctor,  when  you  go  where  you  have  sent  many  a  patient, 
and  where,  for  that  very  reason,  you  certainly  will  go,  I 
only  hope,  for  your  sake,  and  for  that  of  your  profession  in 
general,  that  you  will  not  find  it  quite  so  hot  as  we  found 
it  in  Egypt.  What  do  you  think  of  nineteen  of  my  men 
being  killed  by  the  concentrated  rays  of  light  falling  on  the 
barrels  of  the  sentinels'  bright  muskets,  and  setting  fire 
to  the  powder  ?  I  commanded  a  mortar  battery  at  Acre, 
and  I  did  the  French  infernal  mischief  with  the  shells.  I 
used  to  pitch  in  among  them  when  they  had  sat  down  to 
dinner  :  but  how  do  you  think  the  scoundrels  weathered 
on  me  at  last  ?  D — n  me,  they  trained  a  parcel  of  poodle 
dogs  to  watch  the  shells  when  they  fell,  and  then  to  run  and 
pull  the  fuses  out  with  their  teeth.  Did  you  ever  hear  of 
such  d — d  villains  ?  By  this  means,  they  saved  hundreds 
of  men,  and  only  lost  half  a  dozen  dogs — fact,  by  G — ; 
only  ask  Sir  Sydney  Smith  j  he'll  tell  you  the  same,  and  a 
d — d  sight  more." 

The  volubility  of  his  tongue  was  only  equalled  by  the 
rapidity  of  his  invention  and  the  powers  of  mastication  ; 
for,  during  the  whole  of  this  entertaining  monodrame,  his 
teeth  were  in  constant  motion,  like  the  traversing  beam  of 
a  steam  boat ;  and  as  he  was  our  captain  as  well  as  our 
guest,  he  certainly  took  the  lion's  share  of  the  repast. 

"  But,  I  say,  Soundings,"  said  he,  addressing  himself 
familiarly  to  the  master,  who  had  not  been  long  in  the 
vessel,  "  let  us  see  what  sort  of  stuff  you  have  stowed  the 
fore-hold  with.  You  know  I  am  a  water  drinker  ;  give  me 
only  the  pure  limpid  stream,  and  a  child  may  lead  me.  I 
seldom  touch  liquor  when  the  water  is  good."  So  saying, 
he  poured  out  a  tumbler,  and  held  it  to  his  nose.  "  Stinks 
like  h —  !  I  say,  master,  are  you  sure  the  bungs  are  in 
your  casks  ?  The  cats  have  been  contributing  to  the  fluid. 
We  must  qualify  this  ; "  and  having  poured  one-half  of  the 


The  Naval  Officer  235 

water,  which  by  the  by  was  very  good,  he  supplied  the 
vacancy  with  rum.  Then  tasting  it,  he  said,  "  Come, 
Miss  Puss  ;  this  will  rouse  you  out,  at  any  rate." 

A  moment's  pause,  while  he  held  the  bumper  before  his 
eye,  and  then,  down  it  went,  producing  no  other  emotion 
than  a  deep  sigh.  "  By  the  by,  that's  well  thought  of — 
we'll  have  no  cats  in  the  ship  (except  those  which  the 
depravity  of  human  nature  unhappily  compels  the  boatswain 
to  use).  Mr  Skysail,  you'll  look  to  that.  Throw  them  all 
overboard." 

Taking  his  hat,  he  rose  from  the  table,  and  mounting  the 
ladder,  "  On  second  thought,"  said  he,  addressing  Skysail 
again,  "  I  won't  throw  the  cats  overboard  ;  the  sailors  have 
a  foolish  superstition  about  that  animal — its  d — d  unlucky. 
No  ;  put  them  alive  in  a  bread-bag,  and  send  them  on 
shore  in  the  bum-boat." 

Recollecting  that  my  dinner  party  at  the  George  was 
to  take  place  this  day,  and  remembering  the  captain's 
promise  that  I  should  go  on  shore  whenever  I  pleased, 
I  thought  it  only  necessary  to  say  I  was  going,  merely 
passing  the  usual  compliment  to  my  superior.  I  therefore 
went  to  him,  with  a  modest  assurance,  and  told  him  of 
my  engagement  and  my  intention. 

"  Upon  my  honour,  Sir,"  cried  he,  putting  his  arms 
a-kimbo,  and  staring  me  full  in  the  face;  "you  have 
a  tolerable  sea-stock  of  modest  assurance ;  no  sooner 
come  on  board  than  you  ask  leave  to  go  on  shore  again, 
and  at  the  same  time  you  have  the  impudence  to  tell  me, 
knowing  how  much  I  abhor  the  vice,  that  you  mean  to 
wet  your  commission,  and  of  course  to  get  beastly  drunk, 
and  to  make  others  as  bad  as  yourself.  No,  Sir;  I'd 
have  you  to  know,  that  as  captain  of  this  ship,  and  as 
long  as  I  have  the  honour  to  command  her,  I  am  magister 
morumP 

"  That  is  precisely  what  I  was  coming  to,  Sir,"  said  I, 
"  when  you  interrupted  me.  Knowing  how  difficult  it 
is  to  keep  young  men  in  order,  without  the  presence  of 
some  one  whom  they  respect,  and  can  look  up  to  as  an 


2  3  6  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

example,  I  was  going  to  request  the  honour  of  your 
company  as  my  guest.  Nothing,  in  my  opinion,  could  so 
effectually  repress  any  tendency  to  improper  indulgence." 

"  There  you   speak  like  a  child  of  my  own  bringing 

up,"  replied  Captain  G :   "  I  did  not  give  you  credit 

for  so  much  good  sense.  I  am  far  from  throwing  a  wet 
blanket  over  any  innocent  mirth.  Man  is  man  after  all — 
give  him  but  the  bare  necessaries  of  life,  and  he  is  no 
more  than  a  dog.  A  little  mirth  on  such  an  occasion, 
is  not  only  justifiable,  but  praiseworthy.  The  health  of 
a  good  king,  like  ours,  God  bless  him,  should  always 
be  drank  in  good  wine  ;  and  as  you  say  the  party  is  to 
be  select,  and  the  occasion  the  wetting  of  your  commis- 
sion, I  shall  have  no  objection  to  come  and  give  away 
the  bride  ;  but,  remember,  no  hard  drinking — no  indecorum 
— and  I'll  do  my  best,  not  only  to  keep  the  young  bloods 
in  order,  but  to  add  my  humble  powers  to  the  hilarity 
of  the  evening." 

I  thanked  him  for  his  kind  condescension.  He  then 
gave  a  few  directions  to  Skysail,  the  first  lieutenant,  and, 
ordering  his  gig  to  be  manned,  offered  me  a  passage  on 
shore. 

This  was,  indeed,  a  mark  of  favour  never  before  con- 
ferred on  any  officer  in  the  ship,  and  all  hands  spontane- 
ously turned  out  to  see  the  sight.  The  first  lieutenant 
cocked  his  eye,  which  was  more  than  saying,  "  This  is 
too  good  to  last  long."  However,  into  the  boat  we 
went,  and  pulled  away  for  old  Sally-port.  The  harbour- 
tide  rolling  out,  we  passed  close  to  the  buoy  of  the 
Boyne* 

"  Ah !  well  I  remember  that  old  ship ;  I  was  midship- 
man of  her  when  she  blew  up.  I  was  signal  midshipman. 
I  was  in  the  act  of  making  the  signal  of  distress,  when 
up  I  went.  Damnation  !  I  thought  I  never  should  have 
come  down  any  more." 

"  Indeed,  Sir,"  said  I,  "  I  thought  there  had  been  no 
one  on  board  at  the  time." 

"No  one  on  board  !  "  repeated  the  captain,  with  scorn 
on  his  upper  lip,  "  who  did  you  get  that  from  ?  " 


The  Naval  Officer  237 

"  I  heard  it  from  a  captain  I  served  with  in  America." 

"  Then  you  may  tell  your  captain,  with  my  compliments, 
that  he  knew  nothing  at  all  about  it.  No  one  on  board ! 
Why,  d me,  Sir,  the  poop  was  crowded  like  a  sheep- 
fold,  and  all  bellowing  to  me  for  help.     I  told  them  all 

to  go   to  h ,  and  just  at  that  moment  away  we  all 

went,  sure  enough.  I  was  picked  up  senseless.  I  was 
told  somewhere  in  Stokes-bay,  and  carried  to  Haslar 
hospital,  where  I  was  given  over  for  three  months — 
never  spoke.  At  last  I  got  well ;  and  the  first  thing  I 
did,  was  to  take  a  boat  and  go  and  dive  down  the  fore- 
hold  of  my  old  ship,  and  swam  aft  to  the  bread-room." 

"  And  what  did  you  see,  Sir  ?  "  said  I. 

"  Oh,  nothing,  except  lots  of  human  skeletons,  and 
whitings  in  abundance,  swimming  between  their  ribs.  I 
brought  up  my  old  quadrant  out  of  the  starboard  wing, 
where  I  was  adjusting  it  when  the  alarm  was  given.  I 
found  it  lying  on  the  table  just  where  I  left  it.  I  never 
shall  forget  what  a  d — d  rap  we  hit  the  old  Queen 
Charlotte,  with  our  larboard  broadside ;  every  gun  went 
slap  into  her,  double-shotted.  D — n  my  eyes,  I  suppose 
we  diddled  at  least  a  hundred  men." 

"  Why,  Sir,"  said  I,  "  I  always  understood  she  only 
lost  two  men  on  that  occasion." 

"Who  told  you  that?"  said  Captain  G ,   "your 

old  captain  ?  " 

"  Yes,  Sir,"  said  I,  "  he  was  a  midshipman  in  her." 

"He   be    d ,"   said    my   skipper ;    "to   my  certain 

knowledge,  three  launch  loads  of  dead  bodies  were  taken 
out  of  her,  and  carried  to  the  hospital  for  interment." 

As  the  boat  touched  the  landing-place,  this  accomplished 
liar  had  time  to  take  breath,  and,  in  fact,  I  was  afraid  he 
would  have  exhausted  his  stock  of  lies  before  dinner,  and 
kept  nothing  for  the  dessert.  When  we  landed,  he  went  to 
his  old  quarters,  at  the  Star  and  Garter,  and  I  to  the  George. 
I  reminded  him,  at  parting,  that  six  o'clock  was  my  hour. 

"  Never  fear  me,"  said  he. 

I  collected  my  company  previous  to  his  arrival,  and  told 


238  Frank  Mildmay  ;  or, 

my  friends  that  it  was  my  determination  to  make  him 
drunk,  and  that  they  must  assist  me,  which  they  promised 
to  do.  Having  once  placed  him  in  that  predicament,  I  was 
quite  sure  I  should  stop  his  future  discourses  in  favour  of 
temperance.  My  companions,  perfectly  aware  of  the  sort 
of  man  they  had  to  deal  with,  treated  him  on  his  entrance 
with  the  most  flattering  marks  of  respect.  I  introduced 
them  all  to  him  in  the  most  formal  manner,  taking  them  to 
him,  one  by  one,  just  as  we  are  presented  at  court — to 
compare  great  things  with  small.  His  good-humour  was 
at  its  highest  spring-tide ;  the  honour  of  drinking  wine 
with  him  was  separately  and  respectfully  asked,  and  most 
condescendingly  granted  to  every  person  at  the  table. 

"  Capital  salmon  this,"  said  the  captain ;  "  where  does 
Billett  get  it  from  ?  By  the  by,  talking  of  that,  did  you 
ever  hear  of  the  pickled  salmon  in  Scotland  ?  " 

We  all  replied  in  the  affirmative. 

"  Oh,  you  don't   take.     D it,   I  don't  mean  dead 

pickled  salmon ;  I  mean  live  pickled  salmon,  swimming 
about  in  tanks,  as  merry  as  grigs,  and  as  hungry  as  rats." 

We  all  expressed  our  astonishment  at  this,  and  declared 
we  never  heard  of  it  before. 

"  I  thought  not,"  said  he,  "  for  it  has  only  lately  been 
introduced  into  this  country,  by  a  particular  friend  of  mine, 

Dr  Mac .      I   cannot  just  now  remember  his   d — d 

jaw-breaking  Scotch  name  ;  he  was  a  great  chemist  and 
geologist,  and  all  that  sort  of  thing — a  clever  fellow  I  can 
tell  you,  though  you  may  laugh.  Well — this  fellow,  Sir, 
took  nature  by  the  heels  and  capsized  her,  as  we  say.  I 
have  a  strong  idea  that  he  had  sold  himself  to  the  devil. 
Well — what  does  he  do,  but  he  catches  salmon  and  puts 
them  into  tanks,  and  every  day  added  more  and  more  salt, 
till  the  water  was  as  thick  as  gruel,  and  the  fish  could 
hardly  wag  their  tails  in  it.  Then  he  threw  in  whole  pepper 
corns,  half-a-dozen  pounds  at  a  time,  till  there  was  enough. 
Then  he  began  to  dilute  with  vinegar,  until  his  pickle  was 
complete.  The  fish  did  not  half  like  it  at  first ;  but  habit 
is  every   thing,  and   when  he  shewed  me  his  tank,  they 


The  Naval  Officer 


239 


were  swimming  about  as  merry  as  a  shoal  of  dace ;  he  fed 
them  with  fennel  chopped  small,  and  black-pepper  corns. 
'  Come,  doctor,'  says  I,  *  I  trust  no  man  upon  tick  ;  if  I 
don't  taste,  I  won't  believe  my  own  eyes,  though  I  can 
believe  my  tongue?"  (We  looked  at  each  other.)  "  '  That 
you  shall  do  in  a  minute,'  says  he  ;  so  he  whipped  one  of 
them  out  with  a  landing  net ;  and  when  I  stuck  my  knife 
into  him,  the  pickle  ran  out  of  his  body,  like  wine  out  of  a 
claret  bottle,  and  I  ate  at  least  two  pounds  of  the  rascal, 
while  he  flapped  his  tail  in  my  face.  I  never  tasted  such 
salmon  as  that.  Worth  your  while  to  go  to  Scotland,  if 
it's  only  for  the  sake  of  eating  live  pickled  salmon.  I'll 
give   you  a  letter,  any  of  you,   to  my  friend.     He'll   be 

d d  glad    to    see   you ;    and   then  you    may  convince 

yourselves.  Take  my  word  for  it,  if  once  you  eat  salmon 
that  way,  you  will  never  eat  it  any  other." 

We  all  said  we  thought  that  very  likely. 

The  champagne  corks  flew  as  fast  and  as  loud  as  his 
shells  at  Acre;  but  we  were  particularly  reserved,  depend- 
ing entirely  on  his  tongue  for  our  amusement ;  and, 
finding  the  breeze  of  conversation  beginning  to  freshen,  I 
artfully  turned  the  subject  to  Egypt,  by  asking  one  of  my 
friends  to  demolish  a  pyramid  of  jelly,  which  stood  before 
him,  and  to  send  some  of  it  to  the  captain. 

This  was  enough :  he  began  with  Egypt,  and  went  on 
increasing  in  the  number  and  magnitude  of  his  lies,  in 
proportion  as  we  applauded  them.  A  short-hand  writer 
ought  to  have  been  there,  for  no  human  memory  could  do 
justice  to  this  modern  Munchausen.  "  Talking  of  the 
water  of  the  Nile,"  said  he,  "  I  remember,  when  I  was 
first  lieutenant  of  the  Bellerophon  I  went  into  Minorca 
with  only  six  tons  of  water,  and  in  four  hours  we  had 
three  hundred  and  fifty  tons  on  board,  all  stowed  away. 
I  made  all  hands  work.     The  admiral  himself  was  up  to 

the  neck  in  water,  with  the  rest  of  them.     <D n  it, 

admiral,'  says  I,  *  no  skulking.'  Well — we  sailed  the 
next  day;  and  such  a  gale  of  wind  I  never  saw  in  all  my 
life — away  went  all  our  masts,  and  we  had  nearly  been 


240  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

swamped  with  the  weather-roll.  One  of  the  boats  was 
blown  off  the  booms,  and  went  clean  out  of  sight  before  it 
touched  the  water.  You  may  laugh  at  that,  but  that  was 
nothing  to  the  Swallow  sloop  of  war.  She  was  in  company 
with  us  j  she  wanted  to  scud  for  it,  but,  by  Jupiter,  she 
was  blown  two  miles  up  the  country — guns,  men,  and  all ; 
and  the  next  morning  they  found  her  flying  jib-boom  had 
gone  through  the  church-window,  and  slap  into  the  cheek 
of  the  picture  of  the  Virgin  Mary.     The  natives  all  swore 

it  was  done  on  purpose  by  d d  heretics.     The  captain 

was  forced  to  arm  his  men,  and  march  them  all  down  to 
the  beach,  giving  the  ship  up  to  the  people,  who  were  so 
exasperated  that  they  set  her  on  fire,  and  never  thought  of 
the  powder  which  was  on  board.  All  the  priests  were  in 
their  robes,  singing  some  stuff  or  another,  to  purify  the 
church ;  but  that  was  so  much  time  thrown  away,  for  in 
one  moment  away  went  church,  priests,  pictures,  and 
people,  all  to  the  devil  together." 

Here  he  indulged  himself  in  some  vile  language  and 
scurrilous  abuse  of  religion  and  its  ministers.  All  priests 
were  hypocritical  scoundrels.  If  he  was  to  be  of  any 
religion  at  all,  he  said,  he  should  prefer  being  a  Roman 
Catholic,  "because,  then,  you  know,"  added  he,  "a  man 
may  sin  as  much  as  he  likes,  and  rub  off  as  he  goes,  for  a 

few  shillings.     I  got  my  commission  by  religion,  d n 

me.  I  found  my  old  admiral  was  a  psalm-singer  ;  so  says 
I,  '  my  old  boy,  I'll  give  you  enough  of  that/  so  I  made 
the  boatswain  stuff  me  a  hassock,  and  this  I  carried  with 
me  every  where,  that  I  might  save  my  trowsers,  and  not 
hurt  my  knees  ;  so  then  I  turned  to  and  prayed  all  day 
long,  and  kept  the  people  awake,  singing  psalms  all  night. 
I  knelt  down  and  prayed  on  the  quarter-deck,  main-deck, 
and  lower  deck.  I  preached  to  the  men  in  the  tiers,  when 
they  coiled  the  cables,  and  groaned  loud  and  deep  when  I 
heard  an  oath.  The  thing  took — the  admiral  said  I  was 
the  right  sort,  and  he  made  a  commander  out  of  the 
greatest  atheist  in  the  ship.  No  sooner  did  I  get  hold  of 
the  sheepskin,  than  to  the  devil  I  pitched  hassock  and 
bible." 


The  Naval  Officer  241 

How  long  he  might  have  gone  on  with  this  farrago,  it 
is  difficult  to  say ;  but  we  were  getting  tired  of  him,  so 
we  passed  the  bottle  till  he  left  off  narrative,  and  took  to 
friendship. 

"  Now  I  say  (hiccup),  you  Frank,  you  are  a  devilish 
good  fellow ;  but  that  one-eyed  son  of  a  gun,  I'll  try  him 
by  a  court-martial,  the  first  time  I  catch  him  drunk ;  I'll 
hang  him  at  the  yard-arm,,  and  you  shall  be  my  first  lieu- 
tenant and  custos-rot-torum,  d — n  me.  Only  you  come  and 
tell  me  the  first  time  he  is  disguised  in  liquor,  and  I'll 
settle  him,  d— n  his  cock  eye — a  saucy,  Polyphemus-look- 
ing son  of  a (hiccup)  a  Whitechapel  bird-catcher." 

Here  his  recollection  failed  him ;  he  began  to  talk  to 
himself,  and  to  confound  me  with  the  first  lieutenant. 

"  I'll  teach  him  to  write  to  port-admirals  for  leave — son 
of  a  sea  cook." 

He  was  now  drawing  to  the  finale,  and  began  to  sing, 

"  The  cook  of  the  huffy  got  drunk, 
Fell  down  the  fore-scuttle,  and 
Broke  his  gin  bottle." 

Here  his  head  fell  back,  he  tumbled  off  his  chair,  and 
lay  motionless  on  the  carpet. 

Having  previously  determined  not  to  let  him  be  exposed 
in  the  streets  in  that  state,  I  had  provided  a  bed  for  him  at 
the  inn ;  and,  ringing  the  bell,  I  ordered  the  waiter  to 
carry  him  to  it.  Having  seen  him  safely  deposited,  untied 
his  neckcloth,  took  off  his  boots,  and  raised  his  head  a 
little,  we  left  him,  and  returned  to  the  table,  where  we 
finished  our  evening  in  great  comfort,  but  without  any 
other  instance  of  intoxication. 

The  next  morning,  I  waited  on  him.  He  seemed  much 
annoyed  at  seeing  me,  supposing  I  meant,  by  my  presence, 
to  rebuke  him  for  his  intemperance  j  but  this  was  not  my 
intention.  I  asked  him  how  he  felt  5  and  I  regretted  that 
the  hilarity  of  the  evening  had  been  interrupted  in  so 
unfortunate  a  manner. 

"  How  do  you  mean,  sir  ?  Do  you  mean  to  insinuate 
that  I  was  not  sober  ? " 


242  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

"By  no  means,  Sir,"  said  I;  "but  are  you  aware,  that 
in  the  midst  of  your  delightful  and  entertaining  conversa- 
tion, you  tumbled  off  your  chair  in  an  epileptic  fit  ? — are 
you  subject  to  these  ? " 

"Oh,  yes,  my  dear  fellow,  indeed  I  am;  but  it  is  so 
long  since  I  last  had  one,  that  I  was  in  hopes  they  had  left 
me.  I  have  invalided  for  them  four  times,  and  just  at  the 
very  periods  when,  if  I  could  have  remained  out,  my  pro- 
motion was  certain." 

He  then  told  me  I  might  remain  on  shore  that  day,  if  I 
pleased.  I  gave  him  credit  for  his  happy  instinct  in  taking 
the  hint  of  the  fit ;  and  as  soon  as  I  left  him,  he  arose, 
went  on  board,  and  flogged  two  men  for  being  drunk  the 
night  before. 

I  did  not  fail  to  report  all  that  had  passed  to  my  mess- 
mates, and  we  sailed  a  few  days  afterwards  for  Barbadoes. 

On  the  first  Sunday  of  our  being  at  sea,  the  captain 
dined  in  the  gun-room  with  the  officers.  He  soon  launched 
out  into  his  usual  strain  of  lying  and  boasting,  which 
always  irritated  our  doctor,  who  was  a  sensible  young 
Welshman.  On  these  occasions,  he  never  failed  to  raise  a 
laugh  at  the  captain's  expense,  by  throwing  in  one  or  two 
words  at  the  end  of  each  anecdote ;  and  this  he  did  in  so 
grave  and  modest  a  manner,  that  without  a  previous  know- 
ledge of  him,  anyone  might  have  supposed  he  was  serious. 
The  captain  renewed  his  story  of  the  corps  of  poodles  to 
extract  the  fuses  from  the  shells.  "  I  hoped,"  he  said, 
"  to  see  the  institution  of  such  a  corps  among  ourselves ; 
and  if  I  were  to  be  the  colonel  of  it,  I  should  soon  have  a 
star  on  my  breast." 

"  That  would  be  the  Dog  Star,"  said  the  doctor,  with 
extreme  gaiety. 

"  Thank  you,  Doctor,"  said  the  captain ;  "  not  bad ;  I 
owe  you  one." 

We  laughed ;  the  doctor  kept  his  countenance ;  and  the 
captain  looked  very  grave ;  but  he  continued  his  lies,  and 
dragged  in  as  usual  the  name  of  Sir  Sydney  Smith  to 
support  his  assertions.     "If  you  doubt  me,  only  ask  Sir 


The  Naval  Officer 


243 


Sydney  Smith ;  he'll  talk  to  you  about  Acre  for  thirty-six 
hours  on  a  stretch,  without  taking  breath ;  his  cockswain 
at  last  got  so  tired  of  it,  that  he  nick-named  him  *  Long 
Acre.'" 

The  poor  doctor  did  not  come  off  scot  free  ;  the  next 
day,  he  discovered  that  the  deck  leaked  over  his  cabin,  and 
the  water  ran  into  his  bed.  He  began,  with  a  hammer  and 
some  nails,  to  fasten  up  a  piece  of  painted  canvas,  by  way 
of  shelter.  The  captain  heard  the  noise  of  the  hammer,  and 
finding  it  was  the  doctor,  desired  him  to  desist.  The  doctor 
replied,  that  he  was  only  endeavouring  to  stop  some  leaks 
over  his  bed  :  the  captain  said  they  should  not  be  stopped  ; 
for  that  a  bed  of  leeks  was  a  very  good  bed  for  a  Welshman. 

"  There,  Doctor ;  now  we  are  quits  :  that's  for  your 
Dog  Star.  I  suppose  you  think  nobody  can  make  a  pun  or 
a  pill,  in  the  ship,  but  yourself?  " 

"  If  my  pills  were  no  better  than  your  puns,"  muttered 
the  doctor,  "  we  should  all  be  in  a  bad  way." 

The  captain  then  directed  the  carpenter  not  to  allow  any 
nails  to  the  doctor,  or  the  use  of  any  of  his  tools  ;  he  even 
told  the  poor  surgeon  that  he  did  not  know  how  to  make 
a  pill,  and  that  "he  was  as  useless  as  the  Navy  Board." 
He  accused  him  of  ignorance  in  other  parts  of  his  profes- 
sion ;  and,  ordering  all  the  sick  men  on  deck,  rope-ended 
them  to  increase  their  circulation,  and  put  a  little  life  into 
them. 

Many  a  poor  sick  creature  have  I  seen  receive  a  most 
unmerciful  beating.  My  wonder  was  that  the  men  did  not 
throw  him  overboard  ;  and  I  do  really  believe  that  if  it  had 
not  been  for  respect  and  love  to  the  officers,  they  would 
have  done  so.  No  sooner  had  we  got  into  blue  water,  as 
he  called  it — that  is,  out  of  soundings — than  he  began  his 
pranks,  which  never  ceased  till  we  reached  Carlisle  Bay. 
Officers  and  men  were  all  treated  alike,  and  there  was  no 
redress,  for  no  one  among  us  dared  to  bring  him  to  a  court- 
martial.  His  constant  maxim  was — "  Keep  sailors  at  work, 
and  you  keep  the  devil  out  of  their  minds — all  hands  all 
day-watch,  and  watch  all  night." 


244  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

"No  man,"  said  Jacky  (the  name  we  gave  him)  "eats 
the  bread  of  idleness  on  board  of  my  ship  :  work  keeps  the 
scurvy  out  of  their  bones,  the  lazy  rascals." 

The  officers  and  men,  for  the  first  three  weeks,  never  had 
a  watch  below  during  the  day.  They  were  harassed  and 
worn  to  death,  and  the  most  mutinous  and  discontented 
spirit  prevailed  throughout  the  ship.  One  of  the  best  sea- 
men said,  in  the  captain's  hearing,  that,  "  since  the  ship  had 
been  at  sea,  he  had  only  had  three  watches  below." 

"  And  if  I  had  known  it,"  said  the  captain,  "  you  should 
not  have  had  that ; "  and  turning  the  hands  up,  he  gave  him 
four  dozen. 

Whenever  he  flogged  the  men,  which  he  was  constantly 
doing,  he  never  failed  to  upbraid  them  with  ingratitude, 
and  the  indulgences  which  they  received  from  him. 

"  By  G — d,  there  is  no  man-of-war  in  the  service  that 
has  so  much  indulgence.  All  you  have  to  do,  is  to  keep 
the  ship  clean,  square  the  yards  ;  hoist  in  your  provisions, 
eat  them  j  hoist  your  grog  in,  drink  it,  and  strike  the  empty 
casks  over  the  side ;  but  Heaven  itself  would  not  please 
such  a  set  of  d — d  fat,  lazy,  discontented  rascals." 

His  language  to  the  officers  was  beyond  any  thing  I  ever 
could  have  supposed  would  have  proceeded  from  the  mouth 
of  a  human  being.  The  master,  one  day,  incurred  his  dis- 
pleasure, and  he  very  flippantly  told  the  poor  man  to  go  to 
h— . 

"  I  hope,  Sir,"  said  the  master,  "  I  have  as  good  a  chance 
of  going  to  Heaven  as  yourself." 

"You  go  to  Heaven!"  said  the  captain,  "you  go  to 
Heaven !  Let  me  catch  you  there,  and  I  will  come  and 
kick  you  out." 

This  was,  indeed,  shewing  how  far  he  would  have 
carried  his  tyranny  if  he  could.  But  our  feelings  are 
relieved  from  any  violent  shock  at  this  apparent  blasphemy, 
when  we  recollect  that  the  poor  man  was  an  atheist ; 
and  that  his  idea  of  Heaven  was  that  of  a  little  parlour 
at  the  Star  and  Garter,  with  a  good  fire,  plenty  of  grog, 
and  pipes  of  tobacco. 


The  Naval  Officer  245 

He  kept  no  table,  nor  did  he  ever  drink  any  wine, 
except  when  he  dined  with  us ;  but  got  drunk  every 
night,  more  or  less,  on  the  ship's  spirits,  in  his  own 
cabin.  He  was  always  most  violent  in  the  evening. 
Our  only  revenge  was  laughing  at  his  monstrous  lies 
on  Sunday,  when  he  dined  with  us.  One  night,  his 
servant  came  and  told  the  midshipman  of  the  watch, 
that  the  captain  was  lying  dead  drunk  on  the  deck,  in 
his  cabin.  This  was  communicated  to  me,  and  I  deter- 
mined to  make  the  best  use  of  it.  I  ran  down  to  the 
cabin,  taking  with  me  the  midshipman  of  the  watch, 
the  quarter-master,  and  two  other  steady  men ;  and 
having  laid  the  water-drinker  in  his  bed,  I  noted  down 
the  date,  with  all  the  particulars,  together  with  the 
names  of  the  witnesses,  to  be  used  as  soon  as  we  fell 
in  with  the  admiral. 

The  next  day,  I  think  he  had  some  suspicion  of  what 
I  had  done,  and  it  had  nearly  been  fatal  to  me.  It  was 
blowing  a  fresh  trade  wind,  and  the  vessel  rolling  very 
deep,  when  he  ordered  the  booms  to  be  cast  loose  and 
re-stowed.  This  was  nothing  short  of  murder  and 
madness  :  but  in  spite  of  every  remonstrance,  he  persisted, 
and  the  consequences  were  terrible.  The  lashings  were 
no  sooner  cast  off,  than  a  spare  top-mast  fell  and  killed 
one  of  the  men.  This  was  enough  to  have  completed 
our  mischief  for  the  day ;  but  the  devil  had  not  done 
with  us  yet.  The  booms  were  secured,  and  the  men 
were  ordered  to  rattle  the  rigging  down,  which,  as  the 
vessel  continued  to  roll  heavily,  was  still  more  dangerous, 
and,  if  possible,  more  useless  than  the  former  operation. 
He  was  warned  of  it,  but  in  vain ;  and  the  men  had  not 
been  aloft  more  than  ten  minutes,  when  one  of  them  fell 
overboard.  "Why  I  should  again  have  put  my  life  in 
jeopardy,  particularly  after  the  warning  of  the  last  voyage, 
I  know  not.  I  was  perhaps  vain  of  what  I  could  do  in 
the  water.  I  knew  my  powers ;  and  with  the  hope  of 
saving  this  unfortunate  victim  to  the  folly  and  cruelty 
of  the  captain,  I  plunged  after  him  into  the  sea,  feeling 


246  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

at  the  same  time,  that  I  was  almost  committing  an  act 
of  suicide.  I  caught  hold  of  him,  and  for  a  time  supported 
him ;  and,  had  the  commonest  diligence  and  seamanship 
been  shewn,  I  should  have  saved  him.  But  the  captain, 
it  appeared,  when  he  found  I  was  overboard,  was  resolved 
to  get  rid  of  me,  in  order  to  save  himself:  he  made  use 
of  every  difficulty  to  prevent  the  boat  coming  to  me. 
The  poor  man  was  exhausted :  I  kept  myself  disengaged 
from  him,  when  swimming  round  him  *,  supported  him 
occasionally  whenever  he  was  sinking ;  but,  rinding  at 
last  that  he  was  irrecoverably  gone — for  though  I  had  a 
firm  hold  of  him,  he  was  going  lower  and  lower — and, 
looking  up,  perceiving  I  was  so  deep  that  the  water  was 
dark  over  my  head,  I  clapped  my  knees  on  his  shoulders, 
and,  giving  myself  a  little  impetus  from  the  resistance, 
rose  to  the  surface.  So  much  was  I  exhausted,  that  I 
could  not  have  floated  half  a  minute  more,  when  the 
boat  came  and  picked  me  up. 

The  delay  in  heaving  the  ship  to,  I  attributed  to  the 
scene  I  had  witnessed  the  night  before ;  and  in  this,  I  was 
confirmed  by  the  testimony  of  the  officers.  Having  lost 
two  men  by  his  unseamanlike  conduct,  he  would  have 
added  deliberate  murder  of  a  third,  to  save  himself  from 
the  punishment  which  he  knew  awaited  him.  He  con- 
tinued the  same  tyrannical  conduct,  and  I  had  resolved 
that  the  moment  we  fell  in  with  the  admiral  to  write  for 
a  court-martial  on  this  man,  let  the  consequences  be  what 
they  might :  I  thought  I  should  serve  my  country  and 
the  navy  by  ridding  it  of  such  a  monster. 

Several  of  the  officers  were  under  arrest,  and  notwith- 
standing the  heat  of  their  cabins  in  that  warm  climate,  were 
kept  constantly  confined  to  them  with  a  sentinel  at  the 
door.  In  consequence  of  this  cruel  treatment,  one  of  the 
officers  became  deranged.  We  made  Barbadoes,  and  run- 
ning round  Needham's  Point  into  Carlisle  Bay,  we  saw  to 
our  mortification,  that  neither  the  admiral  nor  any  ship  of 
war  was  there,  consequently  our  captain  was  commanding 
officer  in   the   port.     Upon   this,   he   became   remarkably 


The  Naval  Officer  247 

amiable,  supposing  if  the  evil  day  was  put  off,  it  would  be 
dispensed  with  altogether ;  he  treated  me  with  particular 
attention,  hoped  we  should  have  some  fun  ashore  5  as  the 
admiral  was  not  come  in,  we  should  wait  for  him  ;  tired  of 
kicking  about  at  sea,  he  should  take  all  his  duds  with  him, 
and  bring  himself  to  an  anchor  on  shore,  and  not  come 
afloat  again  till  we  saluted  his  flag. 

Neither  the  first  lieutenant  nor  myself  believed  one  word 
of  this  ;  indeed,  we  always  acted  upon  the  exact  reverse 
of  what  he  said  •,  and  it  was  well  we  did  so  in  this  instance. 
After  we  had  anchored,  he  went  ashore,  and  in  about  an 
hour  returned,  and  stated  that  the  admiral  was  not  expected 
till  next  month  ;  that  he  should,  therefore,  go  and  take  up 
his  quarters  at  Jemmy  Cavan's,  and  not  trouble  the  ship 
any  more  until  the  admiral  arrived ;  he  then  left  us,  taking 
his  trunk  and  all  his  dirty  linen,  dirty  enough  it  was. 

Some  of  the  officers  unfortunately  believed  that  we 
were  to  remain,  and  followed  the  captain's  example  by 
sending  their  linen  on  shore  to  be  washed.  Skysail  was 
firm,  and  so  was  I ;  the  lieutenant  cocked  his  eye,  and  said, 
"  Messmate,  depend  on  it  there  is  something  in  the  wind. 
I  have  sent  one  shirt  on  shore  to  be  washed  ;  and  when 
that  comes  off,  I  will  send  another  ;  if  I  lose  that  it  is  no 
great  matter." 

That  night,  at  ten  o'clock,  Captain  Jacky  came  on  board, 
bringing  his  trunk  and  dirty  linen,  turned  the  hands  up, 
up  anchor,  and  ran  out  of  Carlisle  Bay  and  went  to  sea, 
leaving  most  of  the  officers'  linen  on  shore.  This  was  one 
of  his  tricks.  He  had  received  his  orders  when  he  landed 
in  the  morning ;  they  were  waiting  for  him,  and  his  coming 
on  board  for  his  things,  was  only  a  run  to  throw  us  off  our 
guard,  and  I  suppose  compel  us,  by  the  loss  of  our 
clothes,  to  be  as  dirty  in  appearance  as  he  was  himself, 
"  but  he  always  liked  to  make  his  officers  comfortable." 

We  arrived  at  Nassau,  in  New  Providence,  without  any 
remarkable  incident,  although  the  service  continued  to  be 
carried  on  in  the  same  disagreeable  manner  as  ever.  I  con- 
tinued, however,  to  get  leave  to  go  on  shore  j  and  finding 


•248  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

no  prospect  of  bringing  the  captain  to  justice,  determined 
to  quit  the  ship,  if  possible.  This  was  effected  by  accident, 
otherwise  I  should  have  been  much  puzzled  to  have  got 
clear  of  her.  I  fell  between  the  boat  and  the  wharf  as  I 
landed,  and  by  the  sudden  jerk  ruptured  a  small  blood- 
vessel in  my  chest ;  it  was  of  no  great  importance  in 
itself,  but  in  that  climate  required  care,  and  I  made  the 
most  of  it.  They  would  have  carried  me  on  board  again, 
but  I  begged  to  be  taken  to  the  hotel.  The  surgeon  of 
the  regiment  doing  duty  there  attended  me,  and  I  re- 
quested him  to  make  my  case  as  bad  as  possible.  The 
captain  came  to  see  me — I  appeared  very  ill — his  com- 
passion was  like  that  of  the  Inquisitor  of  the  Holy  Office, 
who  cures  his  victim  in  order  to  enable  him  to  go  through 
further  torments.  His  time  of  sailing  arrived,  and  I  was 
reported  to  be  too  ill  to  be  removed.  Determined  to  have 
me,  he  prolonged  his  stay.  I  got  better  ;  the  surgeon's 
report  was  more  favourable  $  but  I  was  still  unwilling  to 
go  on  board.  The  captain  sent  me  an  affectionate  message, 
to  say  that  if  I  did  not  come,  he  would  send  a  file  of 
marines  to  bring  me :  he  even  came  himself  and  threatened 
me  ;  when,  finding  there  were  no  witnesses  in  ^the  room, 
I  plainly  told  him  that  if  he  persisted  in  having  me  on 
board,  it  would  be  to  his  own  destruction,  for  that  I  was 
fully  determined  to  bring  him  to  a  court-martial  for 
drunkenness  and  unofficerlike  conduct,  the  moment  we 
joined  the  admiral.  I  told  him  of  the  state  in  which  I 
had  found  him.  I  recapitulated  his  blasphemies,  and  his 
lubberly  conduct  in  losing  the  two  men  ;  he  stared  and 
endeavoured  to  explain ;  I  was  peremptory,  and  he  whined 
and  gave  in,  seeing  he  was  in  my  power. 

"  Well  then,  my  dear  fellow,"  said  Jacky,  "  since  you 
are  so  very  ill — sorry  as  I  shall  be  to  lose  you — I  must 
consent  to  your  staying  behind.  I  shall  find  it  difficult  to 
replace  you  ;  but  as  the  comfort  and  happiness  of  my 
officers  is  my  first  object  on  all  occasions,  I  will  prefer 
annoying  myself  to  annoying  you."  So  saying,  he  held 
out  his  hand  to  me,  which  I  shook  with  a  hearty  good-will, 


The  Naval  Officer  249 

sincerely  hoping  that  we  might  never  meet  again,  either  in 
this  world  or  the  next. 

He  was  afterwards  brought  to  a  court-martial,  for 
repeated  acts  of  drunkenness  and  cruelty,  and  was  finally 
dismissed  the  service. 

In  giving  this  detail  of  Captain  G 's  peculiarities,  let 

it  not  be  imagined,  that  even  at  that  period  such  characters 
were  common  in  the  service.  I  have  already  said,  that  he 
was  an  unique.  Impressment  and  the  want  of  officers  at 
the  early  part  of  the  war,  gave  him  an  opportunity  of 
becoming  a  lieutenant ;  he  took  the  weak  side  of  the 
admiral  to  obtain  his  next  step,  and  obtained  the  command 
of  a  sloop,  from  repeated  solicitation  at  the  Admiralty,  and 
by  urging  his  claims  of  long  servitude.  The  service  had 
received  serious  injury  by  admitting  men  on  the  quarter- 
deck from  before  the  mast ;  it  occasioned  there  being  two 
classes  of  officers  in  the  navy — namely,  those  who  had  rank 
and  connections,  and  those  who  had  entered  by  the  "  hawse- 
holes,"  as  they  were  described.  The  first  were  favoured 
when  young,  and  did  not  acquire  a  competent  knowledge 
of  their  duty  ;  the  second,  with  few  exceptions,  as  they 
advanced  in  their  grades,  proved,  from  want  of  education, 
more  and  more  unfit  for  their  stations.  These  defects 
have  now  been  remedied  ;  and  as  all  young  men  who  enter 
the  service  must  have  a  regular  education,  and  consequently 
be  the  sons  of  gentlemen,  a  level  has  been  produced,  which 
to  a  certain  degree  precludes  favouritism,  and  perfectly  bars 
the  entrance  to  such  men  as  Captain  G . 

After  the  battle  of  Trafalgar,  when  England  and  Europe 
were  indebted  for  their  safety  to  the  British  fleet,  the  navy 
became  popular,  and  the  aristocracy  crowded  into  it.  This 
forwarded  still  more  the  melioration  of  the  service,  and 
under  the  succeeding  naval  administration,  silent,  certain, 
and  gradual  improvements,  both  in  men,  officers,  and  ships, 
took  place.  Subsequently,  the  navy  has  been  still  more 
fortunate,  in  having  an  officer  called  to  its  councils,  whose 
active  and  constant  employment  at  sea,  previous  to  the 
peace  of  Paris,  had  given  him  a  thorough  insight  into  its 


250  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

wants  and  abuses.  Unconnected  with  party,  and  unawed 
by  power,  he  has  dared  to  do  his  duty  ;  and  it  is  highly  to 
the  credit  of  the  first  lord,  who  has  so  long  presided  at  the 
board,  that  the  suggestions  of  this  officer  have  met  with 
due  consideration  ;  I  can  therefore  assure  my  reader,  that 
as  long  as  his  advice  is  attended  to,  he  need  be  afraid  of 
meeting  with  no  more  Captain  G s. 


Chapter  XVIII 

There  she  goes,  brimful  of  anger  and  jealousy.    Mercy  on  the  poor  man  ! 

"Jealous  Wife." 
The  dreadful  fish  that  hath  deserved  the  name 
Of  Death.  Spenser. 

As  the  brig  moved  out  of  the  harbour  of  Nassau,  I  moved 
out  of  bed ;  and  as  she  set  her  royals  and  made  sail,  I  put 
on  my  hat  and  walked  out.  The  officers  of  the  regiment 
quartered  there,  kindly  invited  me  to  join  their  mess  ;  and 
the  colonel  enhanced  the  value  of  the  offer  by  assigning 
for  me  good  apartments  in  the  barracks.  I  was  instantly 
removed  to  cleanly  and  comfortable  lodgings.  I  soon 
regained  my  strength,  and  was  able  to  sit  at  the  table, 
where  I  found  thirty-five  young  officers,  living  for  the 
day,  careless  of  the  morrow ;  and,  beyond  that  never 
bestowing  a  thought.  It  is  a  singular  fact,  that  where 
life  is  most  precarious,  men  are  most  indifferent  about  its 
preservation ;  and,  where  death  is  constantly  before  our 
eyes,  as  in  this  country,  eternity  is  seldom  in  our  thoughts : 
but  so  it  is ;  and  the  rule  extends  still  further  in  despotic 
countries.  "Where  the  union  between  the  head  and 
shoulders  may  be  dissolved  in  a  moment  by  the  sword 
of  a  tyrant,  life  is  not  so  valued,  and  death  loses  its 
terrors ;  hence  the  apathy  and  indifference  with  which 
men  view  their  executioners  in  that  state  of  society.  It 
seems  as  if  existence,  like  estates,  was   valuable  in  pro- 


The  Naval  Officer  251 

portion  to  the  validity  of  the  title-deeds  by  which  they  are 
held. 

To  digress  no  more.  Although  I  was  far  from  being 
even  commonly  virtuous,  which  is  about  tantamount  to 
absolute  wickedness,  I  was  no  longer  the  thoughtless 
mortal  I  had  ever  been  since  I  left  school.  The  society  of 
Emily,  and  her  image  graven  on  my  heart;  the  close  con- 
finement to  the  brig,  and  the  narrow  escape  from  death 
in  the  second  attempt  to  save  the  poor  sailor's  life,  had 
altogether  contributed  their  share  to  a  kind  of  temporary 
reformation,  if  not  to  a  disgust  to  the  coarser  descriptions 
of  vice.  The  lecture  I  had  received  from  Emily  on  deceit, 
and  the  detestable  conduct  of  my  last  captain,  had,  as  I 
thought,  almost  completed  my  reformation.  Hitherto  I 
felt  I  had  acted  wrong,  without  having  the  power  to  act 
right.  I  forgot  that  I  had  never  made  the  experiment. 
The  declaration  of  Captain  G.'s  atheism  was  so  far  from 
converting  me,  that  from  that  moment  I  thought  more 
seriously  than  ever  of  religion.  So  great  was  my  contempt 
for  his  character,  that  I  knew  whatever  he  said  must  be 
wrong,  and,  like  the  Spartan  drunken  slave,  he  gave  me 
the  greatest  horror  of  vice. 

Such  was  my  reasoning,  and  such  my  sentiments, 
previous  to  any  relapse  into  sin  or  folly.  I  knew  its 
heinousness.  I  transgressed  and  repented  ;  habit  was  all- 
powerful  in  me ;  and  the  only  firm  support  I  could  have 
looked  to  for  assistance  was,  unfortunately,  very  super- 
ficially attended  to.  Religion,  for  any  good  purposes,  was 
scarcely  in  my  thoughts.  My  system  was  a  sort  of  Socratic 
heathen  philosophy — a  moral  code,  calculated  to  take  a 
man  tolerably  safe  through  a  quiet  world,  but  not  to 
extricate  him  from  a  labyrinth  of  long-practised  iniquity. 

The  thoughtless  and  vicious  conduct  of  my  companions 
became  to  me  a  source  of  serious  reflection.  Far  from 
following  their  example,  I  felt  myself  some  degrees  better 
than  they  were ;  and  in  the  pride  of  my  heart  thanked 
God  that  I  was  not  like  these  publicans.  My  pharisaical 
arrogance  concealed   from  me  the  mortifying  fact  that  I 


252  Frank  Mild  may;  or, 

was  much  worse,  and  with  very  slight  hopes  of  amend- 
ment. Humility  had  not  yet  entered  my  mind  ;  but  it  was 
the  only  basis  on  which  any  religious  improvement  could 
be  created — the  only  chance  of  being  saved.  I  rather 
became  refined  in  vice,  without  quitting  it.  Gross  and 
sensual  gratification,  so  easily  obtained  in  the  "West  Indies, 
was  disgusting  to  me ;  yet  I  scrupled  not  to  attempt  the 
seduction  of  innocence,  rather  more  gratified  in  the  pursuit 
than  in  the  enjoyment,  which  soon  palled,  and  drove  me 
after  other  objects. 

I  had,  however,  little  occasion  to  exert  my  tact  in  this 
art  in  the  Bahama  Islands,  where,  as  in  all  the  other 
islands  of  the  West  Indies,  there  is  a  class  of  women, 
born  of  white  fathers  and  mustee  or  mulatto  women, 
nearly  approaching  in  complexion  to  the  European ; 
many  of  them  are  brunettes,  with  long  black  hair,  very 
pretty,  good  eyes,  and  often  elegant  figures.  These 
ladies  are  too  proud  of  the  European  blood  in  their 
veins  to  form  an  alliance  with  any  male  who  has  a 
suspicion  of  black  in  his  genealogical  table  ;  consequently 
they  seldom  are  married  unless  from  interested  motives, 
when,  having  acquired  large  property  by  will,  they  are 
sought  in  wedlock  by  the  white  settlers. 

So  circumstanced,  these  girls  prefer  an  intercourse  with 
the  object  of  their  choice  to  a  legal  marriage  with  a 
person  of  inferior  birth  ;  and,  having  once  made  their 
selection,  an  act  of  infidelity  is  of  rare  occurrence  among 
them.  Their  affection  and  constancy  will  stand  the  test 
of  time  and  of  long  separation  ;  generous  to  prodigality, 
but  jealous,  and  irritable  in  their  jealousy,  even  to  the 
use  of  the  dagger  and  poison. 

One  of  these  young  ladies  found  sufficient  allurement 
in  my  personal  charms  to  surrender  at  discretion,  and  we 
lived  in  that  sort  of  familiar  intercourse  which,  in  the 
"West  Indies,  is  looked  upon  as  a  matter  of  necessity 
between  the  parties,  and  of  indifference  by  every  one 
else.  I  lived  on  in  this  Epicurean  style  for  some  months  ; 
until,  most   unfortunately,    my    there   amle   found    a   rival 


The  Naval  Officer  253 

in  the  daughter  of  an  officer,  high  in  rank,  on  the  island. 
Smitten  with  my  person,  this  fair  one  had  not  the 
prudence  to  conceal  her  partiality :  my  vanity  was  too 
much  flattered  not  to  take  advantage  of  her  sentiments 
in  my  favour  ;  and,  as  usual,  flirtation  and  philandering 
occupied  most  of  my  mornings,  and  sometimes  my  even- 
ings, in  the  company  of  this  fair  American. 

Scandal  is  a  goddess  who  reigns  paramount,  not  only 
in  Great  Britain,  but  also  in  all  his  Majesty's  plantations  ; 
and  her  votaries  very  soon  selected  me  as  the  target  of 
their  archery.  My  pretty  Carlotta  became  jealous  ;  she 
taxed  me  with  inconstancy.  I  denied  the  charge ;  and 
as  a  proof  of  my  innocence,  she  obtained  from  me  a 
promise  that  I  should  go  no  more  to  the  house  of  her 
rival ;  but  this  promise  I  took  very  good  care  to  evade, 
and  to  break.  For  a  whole  fortnight,  my  domestic  peace 
was  interrupted  either  by  tears,  or  by  the  most  voluble 
and  outrageous  solos,  for  I  never  replied  after  the  first 
day. 

A  little  female  slave,  one  morning,  made  me  a  signal 
to  follow  her  to  a  retired  part  of  the  garden.  I  had 
shewn  this  poor  little  creature  some  acts  of  kindness, 
for  which  she  amply  repaid  me.  Sometimes  I  had 
obtained  for  her  a  holiday — sometimes  saved  her  a 
whipping,  and  at  others  had  given  her  a  trifle  of  money ; 
she  therefore  became  exceedingly  attached  to  me,  and 
as  she  saw  her  mistress's  anger  daily  increase,  she  knew 
what  it  would  probably  end  in,  and  watched  my  safety 
like  a  little  guardian  sylph. 

"No  drinkee  coffee,  Massa,"  said  she,  "Missy  putty 
obeah  stuff  in." 

As  soon  as  she  had  said  this,  she  disappeared,  and  I 
went  into  the  house,  where  I  found  Carlotta  preparing 
the  breakfast;  she  had  an  old  woman  with  her,  who 
seemed  to  be  doing  something  which  she  was  not  very 
willing  I  should  see.  I  sat  down  carelessly,  humming 
a  tune,  with  my  face  to  a  mirror,  and  my  back  to 
Carlotta,  so  that  I  was  able  to  watch  her  motions  with- 


254  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

out  her  perceiving  it.  She  was  standing  near  the  fire- 
place, the  coffee  was  by  her,  on  the  table,  and  the  old 
woman  crouched  in  the  chimney  corner,  with  her  bleared 
eyes  fixed  on  the  embers.  Carlotta  seemed  in  doubt ; 
she  pressed  her  hands  forcibly  on  her  forehead  j  took 
up  the  coffee-pot  to  pour  me  out  a  cup,  then  sat  it  down 
again ;  the  old  woman  muttered  something  in  their 
language ;  Carlotta  stamped  with  her  little  foot,  and 
poured  out  the  coffee.  She  brought  it  to  me — trembled 
as  she  placed  it  before  me — seemed  unwilling  to  let 
go  her  hold,  and  her  hand  still  grasped  the  cup,  as  if 
she  would  take  it  away  again.  The  old  woman  growled 
and  muttered  something,  in  which  I  could  only  hear  the 
name  of  her  rival  mentioned.  This  was  enough :  the 
eyes  of  Carlotta  lighted  up  like  a  flame ;  she  quitted 
her  hold  of  the  salver,  retreated  to  the  fireplace,  sat 
herself  down,  covered  her  face,  and  left  me,  as  she 
supposed,  to  make  my  last  earthly  repast. 

"  Carlotta,"  said  I,  with  a  sudden  and  vehement  ex- 
clamation. She  started  up,  and  the  blood  rushed  to  her 
face  and  neck,  in  a  profusion  of  blushes,  which  are 
perfectly  visible  through  the  skins  of  these  mulattos. 
"  Carlotta,"  I  repeated,  "  I  had  a  dream  last  night,  and 
who  do  you  think  came  to  me  ?  It  was  Obeah !  "  (She 
started  at  the  name.)  "  He  told  me  not  to  drink  coffee 
this  morning,  but  to  make  the  old  woman  drink  it."  At 
these  words  the  beldam  sprang  up.  "  Come  here,  you 
old  hag,"  said  I.  She  approached  trembling,  for  she 
saw  that  escape  from  me  was  impossible,  and  that  her 
guilt  was  detected.  I  seized  a  sharp  knife,  and  taking 
her  by  her  few  remaining  grey  and  woolly  hairs,  said, 
"  Obeah' s  work  must  be  done  :  I  do  not  order  it,  but 
he  commands  it ;  drink  that  coffee  instantly." 

So  powerful  was  the  name  of  Obeah  on  the  ear  of  the 
hag,  that  she  dreaded  it  more  than  my  brandished  knife. 
She  never  thought  of  imploring  mercy,  for  she  supposed 
it  was  useless  after  the  discovery,  and  that  her  hour 
was  come;  she  therefore  lifted  the  cup  to  her  withered 


The  Naval  Officer  255 

lip,  and  was  just  going  to  fulfil  her  destiny  and  to  drink, 
when  I  dashed  it  out  of  her  hand,  and  broke  it  in  a 
thousand  pieces  on  the  floor,  darting,  at  the  same  time, 
a  fierce  look  at  Carlotta,  who  threw  herself  at  my  feet, 
which  she  fervently  kissed  in  an  agony  of  conflicting- 
passions. 

"  Kill  me  !  kill  me  !  "  ejaculated  she  ;  "  it  was  I  that 
did  it.  Obeah  is  great — he  has  saved  you.  Kill  me,  and 
I  shall  die  happy,  now  you  are  safe — do  kill  me !  " 

I  listened  to  these  frantic  exclamations  with  perfect 
calmness.  When  she  was  a  little  more  composed,  I 
desired  her  to  rise.  She  obeyed,  and  looked  the  image 
of  despair,  for  she  thought  I  should  immediately  quit 
her  for  the  arms  of  her  more  fortunate  rival,  and  she  con- 
sidered my  innocence  as  fully  established  by  the  appearance 
of  the  deity. 

"  Carlotta,"  said  I,  "  what  would  you  have  done  if  you 
had  succeeded  in  killing  me  ?  " 

"  I  will  shew  you,"  said  she ;  when,  going  to  a  closet, 
the  took  out  another  basin  of  coffee ;  and  before  I  could 
dash  it  from  her  lips,  as  I  had  the  former  one  from  the 
black  woman,  the  infatuated  girl  had  swallowed  a  small 
portion  of  it. 

"What  else  can  I  do?"  said  she;  "my  happiness  is 
gone  for  ever." 

"  No,  Carlotta,"  said  I ;  "  I  do  not  wish  for  your  death, 
though  you  have  plotted  mine.  I  have  been  faithful  to 
you,  and  loved  you,  until  you  made  this  attempt." 

"  Will  you  forgive  me  before  I  die  ? "  said  she ;  "  for 
die  I  must,  now  that  I  know  you  will  quit  me  !  "  Utter- 
ing these  words,  she  threw  herself  on  the  floor  with 
violence,  and  her  head  coming  in  contact  with  the  broken 
fragments  of  the  basin,  she  cut  herself,  and  bled  so 
copiously  that  she  fainted.  The  old  woman  had  fled, 
and  I  was  left  alone  with  her,  for  poor  little  Sophy  was 
frightened,  and  had  hidden  herself. 

I  lifted  Carlotta  from  the  floor,  and,  placing  her  in  a 
chair,  I  washed  her  face  with  cold  water ;   and  having 


256  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

staunched  the  blood,  I  laid  her  on  her  bed,  when  she 
began  to  breathe  and  to  sob  convulsively.  I  sat  myself 
by  her  side ;  and  as  I  contemplated  her  pale  face  and 
witnessed  her  grief,  I  fell  into  a  train  of  melancholy 
retrospection  on  my  numerous  acts  of  vice  and  folly. 

"  How  many  warnings,"  said  I,  "  how  many  lessons  am 
I  to  receive  before  I  shall  reform  ?  How  narrowly  have  I 
escaped  being  sent  to  my  account  '  unanealed '  and  unpre- 
pared !  What  must  have  been  my  situation  if  I  had  at  this 
moment  been  called  into  the  presence  of  my  offended 
Creator  ?  This  poor  girl  is  pure  and  innocent,  compared 
with  me,  taking  into  consideration  the  advantages  of  educa- 
tion on  my  side,  and  the  want  of  it  on  hers.  What  has 
produced  all  this  misery  and  the  dreadful  consequences 
which  might  have  ensued,  but  my  folly  in  trifling  with  the 
feelings  of  an  innocent  girl,  and  winning  her  affections 
merely  to  gratify  my  own  vanity  5  at  the  same  time  that  I 
have  formed  a  connection  with  this  unhappy  creature,  the 
breaking  of  which  will  never  cause  me  one  hour's  regret, 
while  it  will  leave  her  in  misery,  and  will,  in  all  probability, 
embitter  all  her  future  existence  ?  What  shall  I  do  ?  For- 
give, as  I  hope  to  be  forgiven :  the  fault  was  more  mine 
than  hers." 

I  then  knelt  down  and  most  fervently  repeated  the  Lord's 
Prayer,  adding  some  words  of  thanksgiving,  for  my  unde- 
served escape  from  death.  I  rose  up  and  kissed  her  cold, 
damp  forehead ;  she  was  sensible  of  my  kindness,  and  her 
poor  head  found  relief  in  a  flood  of  tears.  Her  eyes  again 
gazed  on  me,  sparkling  with  gratitude  and  love,  after  all 
she  had  gone  through.  I  endeavoured  to  compose  her; 
the  loss  of  blood  had  produced  the  best  effects  ;  and,  having 
succeeded  in  calming  her  conflicting  passions,  she  fell  into 
a  sound  sleep. 

The  reader  who  knows  the  West  Indies,  or  knows 
human  nature,  will  not  be  surprised  that  I  should  have 
continued  this  connection  as  long  as  I  remained  on  the 
island.  From  the  artless  manner  in  which  Carlotta  had 
conducted  her  plot  j  from  her  gestures  and  her  agitation, 


The  Naval  Officer  257 

I  was  quite  sure  that  she  was  a  novice  in  this  sort  of  crime, 
and  that  should  she  ever  relapse  into  her  paroxysm  of 
jealousy,  I  should  be  able  to  detect  any  farther  attempt  on 
my  life.  Of  this,  however,  I  had  no  fears,  having  by 
degrees  discontinued  my  visits  to  the  young  lady  who  had 
been  the  cause  of  our  fracas  ;  and  I  never  afterwards,  while 
on  the  island,  gave  Carlotta  the  slightest  reason  to  suspect 
my  constancy.  I  was  much  censured  for  my  conduct  to 
the  young  lady,  as  the  attentions  I  had  shewn  her,  and  her 
marked  preference  for  me,  had  driven  away  suitors  who 
really  were  in  earnest,  and  they  never  returned  to  her 
again. 

In  these  islands,  the  naturalist  would  find  a  vast  store  to 
reward  investigation  ;  they  abound  with  a  variety  of  plants, 
birds,  fish,  shells,  and  minerals.  It  was  here  that  Columbus 
made  his  first  landing,  but  in  which  of  the  islands  I  am  not 
exactly  certain ;  though  I  am  very  sure  he  did  not  find  them 
quite  so  agreeable  as  I  did,  for  he  very  soon  quitted  them, 
and  steered  away  for  St  Domingo. 

It  is  not,  perhaps,  generally  known,  that  New  Provi- 
dence was  the  island  selected  for  his  residence  by  Black- 
beard,  the  famous  pirate ;  the  citadel  that  stands  on  the 
hill  above  the  town  of  Nassau,  is  built  on  the  site  of  the 
fortress  which  contained  the  treasure  of  that  famous  free- 
booter. A  curious  circumstance  occurred  during  my  stay 
on  this  island,  and  which,  beyond  all  doubt,  was  connected 
with  the  adventures  of  those  extraordinary  people,  known 
by  the  appellation  of  Buccaneers.  Some  workmen  were 
digging  near  the  foot  of  the  hill  under  the  fort,  when  they 
discovered  some  quicksilver,  and  on  inspection,  a  very  con- 
siderable quantity  was  found ;  it  had  evidently  been  a  part 
of  the  plunder  of  the  pirates,  buried  in  casks  or  skins,  and 
these  having  decayed,  the  liquid  ore  naturally  escaped  down 
the  hill. 

Though  not  indifferent  to  the  pleasures  of  the  table,  I 
was  far  from  resigning  myself  to  the  Circean  life  led  by  the 
generality  of  young  military  men  in  the  Bahamas. 

The  education  which  I  had  received,  and  which  placed 

M  R 


258  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

me  far  above  the  common  run  of  society  in  the  colonies, 
induced  me  to  seek  for  a  companion  whose  mind  had 
received  equal  cultivation;    and   such  a  one  I  found   in 

Charles ,   a  young   lieutenant  in  the regiment, 

quartered  at  Nassau.  Our  intimacy  became  the  closer, 
in  proportion  as  we  discovered  the  sottish  habits  and 
ignorance  of  those  around  us.  We  usually  spent  our 
mornings  in  reading  the  classic  authors  with  which  we 
were  both  familiar;  we  spouted  our  Latin  verses;  we 
fenced;  and  we  amused  ourselves,  occasionally,  with  a 
game  of  billiards,  but  never  ventured  our  friendship  on 
a  stake  for  money.  When  the  heat  of  the  day  had  passed 
off,  we  strolled  out,  paid  a  few  visits,  or  rambled  over 
the  island ;  keeping  as  much  aloof  from  the  barracks  as 
possible,  where  the  manner  of  living  was  so  very  uncon- 
genial to  our  notions.  The  officers  began  their  day 
about  noon,  when  they  sat  down  to  breakfast ;  after  that, 
they  separated  to  their  different  quarters,  to  read  the 
novels,  with  which  the  presses  of  England  and  France 
inundated  these  islands,  to  the  great  deterioration  of 
morals.  These  books,  which  they  read  lounging  on  their 
backs,  or  laid  beside  them  and  fell  asleep  over,  occupied 
the  hottest  part  of  the  day ;  the  remainder,  till  the  hour 
of  dinner  arrived,  was  consumed  in  visiting  and  gossiping, 
or  in  riding  to  procure  an  appetite  for  dinner.  Till  four 
in  the  morning,  their  time  was  wholly  devoted  to  smok- 
ing and  drinking ;  their  beds  received  them  in  a  state  of 
intoxication  more  or  less  ;  parade,  at  nine  o'clock,  forced 
them  out  with  a  burning  brain  and  parched  tongue ;  they 
rushed  into  the  sea,  and  found  some  refreshment  in  the 
cool  water,  which  enabled  them  to  stand  upright  in  front 
of  their  men ;  the  formal  duty  over,  they  retired  again  to 
their  beds,  where  they  lay  till  noon,  and  then  to  breakfast. 
Such  were  their  days ;  can  it  be  wondered  at  that  our 
islands  are  fatal  to  the  constitution  of  Europeans,  when 
this  is  their  manner  of  life  in  a  climate  always  disposed 
to  take  advantage  of  any  excess  ?  The  men  too  readily 
followed  the  example  of  their  officers,  and  died  off  in  the 


The  Naval  Officer  259 

same  rapid  manner ;  one  of  the  most  regular  employments 
of  the  morning  was  to  dig  graves  for  the  victims  of  the 
night.  Four  or  five  of  these  receptacles  was  thought  a 
moderate  number.  Such  was  the  fatal  apathy  in  which 
these  officers  existed,  that  the  approach,  nay,  even  the 
certainty  of  death,  gave  them  no  apparent  concern,  caused 
no  preparation,  excited  no  serious  reflection.  They 
followed  the  corpse  of  a  brother-officer  to  the  grave  in 
military  procession.  These  ceremonies  were  always  con- 
ducted in  the  evening,  and  often  have  I  seen  these 
thoughtless  young  men  throwing  stones  at  the  lanthorns 
which  were  carried  before  them  to  light  them  to  the 
burying-ground. 

I  was  always  an  early  riser,  and  believe  I  owe  much 
of  my  good  health  to  this  custom.  I  used  to  delight  in 
a  lovely  tropical  morning,  when,  with  a  cigar  in  my 
mouth,  I  walked  into  the  market.  What  would  Sir 
William  Curtis,  or  Sir  Charles  Flower  have  said,  could 
they  have  seen,  as  I  did,  the  numbers  of  luxurious  turtle 
lying  on  their  backs,  and  displaying  their  rich  calapee 
to  the  epicurean  purchaser?  Well,  indeed  might  the 
shade  of  Apicius*  lament  that  America  and  turtle  were 
not  discovered  in  his  days.  There  were  the  guanas,  too, 
in  abundance,  with  their  mouths  sewed  up  to  prevent 
their  biting ;  these  are  excellent  food,  although  bearing 
so  near  a  resemblance  to  the  alligator,  and  its  diminutive 
European  representative,  the  harmless  lizard.  Muscovy 
ducks,  parrots,  monkeys,  pigeons,  and  fish.  Pine  apples 
abounded,  oranges,  pomegranates,  limes,  Bavarias,  plantains, 
love  apples,  Abbogada  pears  (better  known  by  the  name 
of  subaltern's  butter),  and  many  other  fruits,  all  piled  in 
heaps,  were  to  be  had  at  a  low  price.  Such  was  the 
stock  of  a  New  Providence  market. 

Of  the  human  species,  buyers  and  vendors,  there  were 

black,  brown  and  fair;    from  the  fairest  skin,  with  light 

blue  eyes,   and  flaxen  hair,  to  the  jet-black   "  Day  and 

Martin  "  of  Ethiopia ;  from  the  loveliest  form  of  Nature's 

*  Lyttleton's  "  Dialogues  of  the  Dead." 


a6o  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

mould,  to  the  disgusting  squaw,  whose  flaccid  mammae 
hung  like  inverted  bottles  to  her  girdle,  or  are  extended 
over  her  shoulder  to  give  nourishment  to  the  little  imp 
perched  on  her  back  ;  and  here  the  urchin  sits  the  live 
long  day,  while  the  mother  performs  all  the  drudgery  of 
the  field,  the  house,  or  the  market. 

The  confusion  of  Babel  did  not  surpass  the  present 
gabble  of  a  West  India  market.  The  loud  and  everlast- 
ing chatter  of  the  black  women,  old  and  young  (for  black 
ladies  can  talk  as  well  as  white  ones)  ;  the  screams  of 
children,  parrots,  and  monkeys  5  black  boys  and  girls, 
clad  a  la  Venus,  white  teeth,  red  lips,  black  skins,  and 
elephant  legs,  formed  altogether  a  scene  well  worth  look- 
ing at ;  and  now,  since  the  steamers  have  acquired  so 
much  velocity,  I  should  think  would  not  be  an  unpleasant 
lounge  for  the  fastidious  ennuye  of  France  or  England. 
The  beauty  and  coolness  of  the  morning,  the  lovely  sky, 
and  the  cheerfulness  of  the  slaves,  whom  our  morbid 
philanthropists  wish  to  render  happy,  by  making  dis- 
contented, would  altogether  amply  repay  the  trouble  and 
expense  of  a  voyage,  to  those  who  have  leisure  or 
money  enough  to  enable  them  to  visit  the  tropical 
islands. 

The  delightful,  and,  indeed,  indispensable  amusement 
of  bathing,  is  particularly  dangerous  in  these  countries. 
In  the  shallows  you  are  liable  to  be  struck  by  the  sting- 
ray, a  species  of  skate,  with  a  sharp  barb  about  the  middle 
of  its  tail ;  and  the  effect  of  the  wound  is  so  serious,  that 
I  have  known  a  person  to  be  in  a  state  of  frenzy  from  it 
for  nearly  forty-eight  hours.  In  deeper  water,  the  sharks 
are  not  only  numerous  but  ravenous ;  and  I  sometimes 
gratified  their  appetites,  and  my  own  love  of  excitement, 
by  purchasing  the  carcass  of  a  dead  cow,  or  horse.  This 
I  towed  off,  and  anchored  with  a  thick  rope  and  a  large 
stone  •,  then,  from  my  boat,  with  a  harpoon,  I  amused  my- 
self in  striking  these  devils  as  they  crowded  round  for 
their  meal.  My  readers  will,  I  fear,  think  I  am  much  too 
fond  of  relating  adventures  among  these  marine  under- 


The  Naval  Officer  261 

takers ;  but  the  following  incident  will  not  be  found 
without  interest. 

In  company  with  Charles,  one  beautiful  afternoon, 
rambling  over  the  rocky  cliffs  at  the  back  of  the  island, 
we  came  to  a  spot  where  the  stillness,  and  the  clear 
transparency  of  the  water  invited  us  to  bathe.  In  was 
not  deep.  As  we  stood  above,  on  the  promontory,  we 
could  see  the  bottom  in  every  part.  Under  the  little  head- 
land, which  formed  the  opposite  side  of  the  cove,  there 
was  a  cavern,  to  which,  as  the  shore  was  steep,  there  was 
no  access  but  by  swimming,  and  we  resolved  to  explore 
it.  We  soon  reached  its  mouth,  and  were  enchanted  with 
its  romantic  grandeur  and  wild  beauty.  It  extented,  we 
found,  a  long  way  back,  and  had  several  natural  baths, 
into  all  of  which  we  successively  threw  ourselves,  each,  as 
they  receded  farther  from  the  mouth  of  the  cavern,  being 
colder  than  the  last.  The  tide,  it  was  evident,  had  free 
ingress,  and  renewed  the  water  every  twelve  hours.  Here 
we  thoughtlessly  amused  ourselves  for  some  time,  quoting 
Acis  and  Galatea,  Diana,  and  her  nymphs,  and  every  classic 
story  applicable  to  the  scene. 

At  length,  the  declining  sun  warned  us  that  it  was  time 
to  take  our  departure  from  the  cave,  when,  at  no  great 
distance  from  us,  we  saw  the  back,  or  dorsal  fin  of  a 
monstrous  shark  above  the  surface  of  the  water,  and  his 
whole  length  visible  beneath  it.  We  looked  at  him  and  at 
each  other  with  dismay,  hoping  that  he  would  soon 
take  his  departure,  and  go  in  search  of  other  prey  ;  but 
the  rogue  swam  to  and  fro,  just  like  a  frigate  blockading 
an  enemy's  port,  and  we  felt,  I  suppose,  very  much  as  we 
used  to  make  the  French  and  Dutch  feel  last  war,  at  Brest 
and  the  Texel. 

The  sentinel  paraded  before  us,  about  ten  or  fifteen 
yards  in  front  of  the  cave,  tack  and  tack,  waiting  only  to 
serve  one,  if  not  both  of  us,  as  we  should  have  served  a 
shrimp  or  an  oyster.  We  had  no  intention,  however,  in 
this,  as  in  other  instances,  of  "  throwing  ourselves  on  the 
mercy  of  the  court."     In  vain  did  we  look  for  relief  from 


262  Frank  Mildmay  ;  or, 

other  quarters ;  the  promontory  above  us  was  inaccessible  ; 
the  tide  was  rising,  and  the  sun  touching  the  clear  blue 
edge  of  the  horizon. 

I,  being  the  leader,  pretended  to  a  little  knowledge  in 
ichthyology,  and  told  my  companion  that  fish  could  hear  as 
well  as  see,  and  that  therefore  the  less  we  said  the  better ; 
and  the  sooner  we  retreated  out  of  his  sight,  the  sooner 
he  would  take  himself  off.  This  was  our  only  chance, 
and  that  a  poor  one  ;  for  the  flow  of  the  water  would  soon 
have  enabled  him  to  enter  the  cave  and  help  himself,  as  he 
seemed  perfectly  acquainted  with  the  locale,  and  knew  that 
we  had  no  mode  of  retreat  but  by  the  way  we  came.  We 
drew  back,  out  of  sight  ;  and  I  don't  know  when  I  ever 
passed  a  more  unpleasant  quarter  of  an  hour.  A  suit  in 
Chancery,  or  even  a  spring  lounge  in  Newgate,  would 
have  been  almost  luxury  to  what  I  felt  when  the  shades 
of  night  began  to  darken  the  mouth  of  our  cave,  and  this 
infernal  monster  continued  to  parade,  like  a  water-bailiff, 
before  its  door.  At  last,  not  seeing  the  shark's  fin  above 
water,  I  made  a  sign  to  Charles  that,  coute  qui  coute,  we 
must  swim  for  it  j  for  we  had  notice  to  quit,  by  the  tide ; 
and  if  we  did  not  depart,  should  soon  have  an  execution 
tn  the  house.  We  had  been  careful  not  to  utter  a  word  ; 
and,  silently  pressing  each  other  by  the  hand,  we  slipped 
into  the  water;  when,  recommending  ourselves  to 
Providence,  which,  for  my  part,  I  seldom  forgot  when 
I  was  in  imminent  danger,  we  struck  out  manfully.  I 
must  own  I  never  felt  more  assured  of  destruction,  not 
even  when  I  swam  through  the  blood  of  the  poor  sailor  ; 
for  then  the  sharks  had  something  to  occupy  them,  but 
here  they  had  nothing  else  to  do  but  to  look  after  us. 
We  had  the  benefit  of  their  undivided  attention. 

My  sensations  were  indescribably  horrible.  I  may  occa- 
sionally write  or  talk  of  the  circumstance  with  levity,  but 
whenever  I  recall  it  to  mind,  I  tremble  at  the  bare  recollec- 
tion of  the  dreadful  fate  that  seemed  inevitable.  My 
companion  was  not  so  expert  a  swimmer  as  I  was,  so  that 
I  distanced  him  many  feet,  when  I  heard  him  utter  a  faint 


The  Naval  Officer  263 

cry.  I  turned  round,  convinced  that  the  shark  had  seized 
him,  but  it  was  not  so ;  my  having  left  him  so  far  behind 
had  increased  his  terror,  and  induced  him  to  draw  my 
attention.  I  returned  to  him,  held  him  up,  and  encouraged 
him.  Without  this,  he  would  certainly  have  sunk ;  he 
revived  with  my  help,  and  we  reached  the  sandy  beach  in 
safety,  having  eluded  our  enemy ;  who,  when  he  neither 
saw  or  heard  us,  had,  as  I  concluded  he  would,  quitted 
the  spot. 

Once  more  on  terra  firma,  we  lay  gasping  for  some 
minutes  before  we  spoke.  What  my  companion's  thoughts 
were,  I  do  not  know ;  mine  were  replete  with  gratitude 
to  God,  and  renewed  vows  of  amendment ;  and  I  have 
every  reason  to  think,  that  although  Charles  had  not  so 
much  room  for  reform  as  myself,  his  feelings  were 
perfectly  in  unison  with  my  own.  We  never  afterwards 
repeated  this  amusement,  though  we  frequently  talked  of 
our  escape,  and  laughed  at  our  terrors ;  yet  on  these 
occasions  our  conversation  always  took  a  serious  turn  :  and, 
upon  the  whole,  I  am  convinced  that  this  adventure  did  us 
both  a  vast  deal  of  good. 

I  had  now  been  six  months  in  these  islands,  had  per- 
fectly recovered  my  health,  and  became  anxious  for  active 
employment.  The  brilliant  successes  of  our  rear-admiral  at 
Washington  made  me  wish  for  a  share  of  the  honour  and 
glory  which  my  brethren  in  arms  were  acquiring  on  the 
coast  of  North  America ;  but  my  wayward  fate  sent  me  in 
a  very  opposite  direction. 


Chapter  XIX 

Mira.  How  came  we  ashore  ? 
Pro.  By  Providence  divine. 

Sit  still,  and  hear  the  last  of  our  sea-sorrow. 

Here  in  this  island  we  arrived.  "Tempest." 

A  frigate  called  at  the  island  for  turtle;   and,  having 
represented  my  case  to  the  captain,  he  offered  to  take 


264  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

me  on  board,  telling  me  at  the  same  time  that  he  was 
going  much  farther  to  the  southward,  to  relieve  another 
cruiser,  who  would  then  return  to  England,  and  the 
captain  of  her  would,  no  doubt,  give  me  a  passage  home. 
I  accordingly  made  hasty  preparations  for  my  departure ; 
took  leave  of  all  my  kind  friends  at  the  barracks,  for 
kind  indeed  they  were  to  me,  although  thoughtless  and 
foolish  towards  themselves.  I  bade  adieu  to  the  families 
on  the  island,  in  whose  houses  and  at  whose  tables  I  had 
experienced  the  most  liberal  hospitality ;  and  last,  though 
not  least,  I  took  leave  of  poor  Carlotta. 

This  was  a  difficult  task  to  perform,  but  it  was  im- 
perative. I  told  her  that  I  was  ordered  on  board  by  my 
captain,  who,  being  a  very  different  person  from  the  last, 
I  dare  not  disobey.  I  promised  to  return  to  her  soon. 
I  offered  her  money  and  presents,  but  she  would  accept 
of  nothing  but  a  small  locket,  to  wear  for  my  sake.  I 
purchased  the  freedom  of  poor  Sophy,  the  black  girl, 
who  had  saved  my  life.  The  little  creature  wept  bitterly 
at  my  coming  away  ;  but  I  could  do  no  more  for  her. 
As  for  Carlotta,  I  learned  afterwards  that  she  went  on 
board  every  ship  that  arrived,  to  gain  intelligence  of  me, 
who  seldom  or  ever  gave  her  a  thought. 

We  sailed  ;  and,  steering  away  to  the  south-east  with 
moderate  winds  and  fine  weather,  captured,  at  the  end  of 
that  time,  a  large  American  ship,  which  had  made  a  devious 
course  from  the  French  coast,  in  hopes  of  avoiding  our 
cruisers ;  she  was  about  four  hundred  tons,  deeply  laden, 
and  bound  to  Laguira,  with  a  valuable  cargo.  The  captain 
sent  for  me,  and  told  me  that  if  I  chose  to  take  charge  of 
her,  as  prize  master,  I  might  proceed  to  England  direct. 
This  plan  exactly  suited  me,  and  I  consented,  only  begging 
to  have  a  boatswain's  mate,  named  Thompson,  to  go  along 
with  me ;  he  was  an  old  shipmate,  and  had  been  one  of 
my  gig's  crew  when  we  had  the  affair  in  Basque  Roads ; 
he  was  a  steady,  resolute,  quiet,  sober,  raw-boned  Cale- 
donian, from  Aberdeen,  and  a  man  that  I  knew  would 
stand  by  me  in  the  hour  of  need.     He  was  ordered  to  go 


The  Naval  Officer  265 

with  me,  and  the  necessary  supply  of  provisions  and  spirits 
were  put  on  board.  I  received  my  orders,  and  took  my 
leave  of  my  new  captain,  who  was  both  a  good  seaman 
and  an  excellent  officer. 

When  I  got  on  board  the  prize,  I  found  all  the  prisoners 
busy  packing  up  their  things,  and  they  became  exceedingly 
alert  in  placing  them  in  the  boat  which  was  to  convey 
them  on  board  the  frigate.  Indeed  they  all  crowded  into 
her  with  an  unusual  degree  of  activity ;  but  this  did  not 
particularly  strike  my  attention  at  the  time.  My  directions 
were  to  retain  the  captain  and  one  man  with  me,  in  order 
to  condemn  the  vessel  in  the  Court  of  Admiralty. 

Occupied  with  many  objects  at  once,  all  important  to 
me,  as  I  was  so  soon  to  part  company  with  the  frigate, 
I  did  not  recollect  this  part  of  my  orders,  and  that  I  was 
detaining  the  boat,  until  the  young  midshipman  who  had 
charge  of  her  asked  me  if  he  might  return  on  board  and 
take  the  prisoners.  I  then  went  on  deck,  and  seeing  the 
whole  of  them,  with  their  chests  and  bags,  seated  very 
quietly  in  the  boat,  and  ready  to  shove  off,  I  desired  the 
captain  and  one  of  the  American  seamen  to  come  on  board 
again,  and  to  bring  their  clothes  with  them.  I  did  not 
remark  the  unwillingness  of  the  captain  to  obey  this  order, 
until  told  of  it  by  the  midshipman ;  his  chest  and  goods 
were  immediately  handed  in  upon  deck,  and  the  signal 
from  the  frigate  being  repeated,  with  a  light  for  the  boat 
to  return  (for  it  was  now  dark),  she  shoved  off  hastily, 
and  was  soon  out  of  sight. 

"  Stop  the  boat !  for  God's  sake  stop  the  boat  ! "  cried 
the  captain. 

"  Why  should  I  stop  the  boat  ? "  said  I ;  "my  orders 
are  positive,  and  you  must  remain  with  me." 

I  then  went  below  for  a  minute  or  two,  and  the  captain 
followed  me. 

"  As  you  value  your  life,  sir,"  said  he,  "  stop  the  boat." 

"  Why  ?  "  asked  I,  eagerly. 

"Because,  sir,"  said  he,  "the  ship  has  been  scuttled  by 
the  men,  and  will  sink  in  a  few  hours  :  you  cannot  save  her, 
for  you  cannot  get  at  her  leaks." 


z66  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

I  now  did  indeed  see  the  necessity  of  stopping  the  boat ; 
but  it  was  too  late :  she  was  out  of  sight.  The  lanthorn, 
the  signal  for  her  return,  had  been  hauled  down,  a  proof 
that  she  had  got  on  board.  I  hoisted  two  lights  at  the 
mizen  peak,  and  ordered  a  musket  to  be  fired ;  but, 
unfortunately,  the  cartridges  had  either  not  been  put  in 
the  boat  which  brought  me,  or  they  had  been  taken  back 
in  her.  One  of  my  lights  went  out ;  the  other  was  not 
seen  by  the  frigate.  We  hoisted  another  light,  but  it 
gained  no  notice  :  the  ship  had  evidently  made  sail.  I  stood 
after  her  as  fast  as  I  could,  in  hopes  of  her  seeing  us  that 
night,  or  taking  us  out  the  next  morning,  should  we  be 
afloat. 

But  my  vessel,  deeply  laden,  was  already  getting  water- 
logged, and  would  not  sail  on  a  wind  more  than  four  miles 
an  hour.  All  hope  in  that  quarter  vanished.  I  then 
endeavoured  to  discover  from  the  captain  where  the  leaks 
were,  that  we  might  stop  them ;  but  he  had  been  drinking 
so  freely,  that  I  could  get  nothing  from  him  but  Dutch 
courage  and  braggadocia  The  poor  black  man,  who  had 
been  left  with  the  captain,  was  next  consulted.  All  he  knew 
was,  that,  when  at  Bordeaux,  the  captain  had  caused  holes 
to  be  bored  in  the  ship's  bottom,  that  he  might  pull  the 
plugs  out  whenever  he  liked,  swearing,  at  the  same  time, 
that  she  never  should  enter  a  British  port.  He  did  not 
know  where  the  leaks  were  situatad,  though  it  was  evident 
to  me  that  they  were  in  the  after  and  also  in  the  fore  parts 
of  the  ship,  low  down,  and  now  deep  under  water,  both 
inside  as  well  as  out.  The  black  man  added,  that  the 
captain  had  let  the  water  in,  and  that  was  all  he  knew. 

I  again  spoke  to  the  captain,  but  he  was  too  far  gone  to 
reason  with :  he  had  got  drunk  to  die,  because  he  was 
afraid  to  die  sober — no  unusual  case  with  sailors. 

"  Don't  tell  me ;  d — n  me,  who  is  a-feard  to  die  ?  I 
arn't.  I  swore  she  should  never  enter  a  British  port,  and  I 
have  kept  my  word." 

He  then  began  to  use  curses  and  execrations ;  and,  at 
last,  fell  on  the  deck  in  a  fit  of  drunken  frenzy. 


The  Naval  Officer  267 

I  now  called  my  people  all  together,  and  having  stated 
to  them  the  peril  of  our  situation,  we  agreed  that  a  large 
boat,  which  lay  on  the  booms,  should  be  instantly  hoisted 
out,  and  stowed  with  every  thing  necessary  for  a  voyage. 
Our  clothes,  bread,  salt  meat,  and  water,  were  put  into 
her,  with  my  sextant  and  spy-glass.  The  liquor,  which 
was  in  the  cabin,  I  gave  in  charge  to  the  midshipman  who 
was  sent  with  me  ;  and,  having  completely  stowed  our  boat, 
and  prepared  her  with  a  good  lug-sail,  we  made  her  fast  with 
a  couple  of  stout  tow-ropes,  and  veered  her  astern,  with 
four  men  in  her,  keeping  on  our  course  in  the  supposed 
track  of  the  frigate  till  day-light. 

That  wished-for  hour  arrived,  but  no  frigate  was  to  be 
seen,  even  from  the  mast-head.  The  ship  was  getting 
deeper  and  deeper,  and  we  prepared  to  take  to  the  boat. 
I  calculated  the  nearest  part  of  South  America  to  be  seven 
hundred  miles  from  us,  and  that  we  were  more  than  twice 
that  distance  from  Rio  Janeiro.  I  did  not,  however,  despond, 
for,  under  all  circumstances,  we  were  extremely  well  off : 
and  I  inspired  the  men  with  so  much  confidence,  that  they 
obeyed  in  everything,  with  the  utmost  alacrity  and  cheer- 
fulness, except  in  one  single  point. 

Finding  the  ship  could  not  in  all  probability  float  more 
than  an  hour  or  two,  I  determined  to  quit  her,  and  ordered 
the  boat  alongside.  The  men  got  into  her,  stepped  the 
mast,  hooked  on  the  lug-sail,  ready  to  hoist  at  my  orders ; 
and,  without  my  bidding,  had  spread  my  boat  cloak  in  the 
stern-sheets,  and  made  a  comfortable  place  for  me  to  repose 
in.  The  master  proceeded  to  get  into  the  boat,  but  the 
men  repulsed  him  with  kicks,  blows,  and  hisses,  swearing 
most  dreadfully  that  if  he  attempted  to  come  in,  they  would 
throw  him  overboard.  Although  in  some  measure  I  parti- 
cipated in  their  angry  feeling,  yet  I  could  not  reconcile 
myself  to  leave  a  fellow-creature  thus  to  perish,  even  in  the 
pit  which  he  had  dug  for  others,  and  this  too  at  a  time  when 
we  needed  every  indulgence  from  the  Almighty  for  our- 
selves, and  every  assistance  from  his  hand  to  conduct  us 
into  a  port. 


268  Frank  Mildmay ;  or, 

"  He  deserves  to  die ;  it  is  all  his  own  doings,"  said  they  ; 
"  come  into  the  boat  yourself,  Sir,  or  we  must  shove  off 
without  you." 

The  poor  captain — who,  after  sleeping  four  hours,  had 
recovered  his  senses,  and  felt  all  the  horror  of  his  situation 
— wept,  screamed,  tore  his  hair,  laid  hold  of  my  coat,  from 
which  only  the  strength  of  my  men  could  disengage  him. 
He  clung  to  life  with  a  passion  of  feeling  which  I  never  saw 
in  a  criminal  condemned  by  the  law ;  he  fell  on  his  knees 
before  me,  as  he  appealed  to  us  all,  collectively  and  sepa- 
rately ;  he  reminded  us  of  his  wife  and  starving  children  at 
Baltimore,  and  he  implored  us  to  think  of  them  and  of  our 
own. 

I  was  melted  to  tears,  I  confess ;  but  my  men  heard  him 
with  the  most  stoical  unconcern.  Two  of  them  threw  him 
over  to  the  opposite  side  of  the  deck ;  and  before  he  could 
recover  from  the  violence  of  the  fall,  pushed  me  into  the 
boat,  and  shoved  off.  The  wretched  man  had  by  this  time 
crawled  over  to  the  side  we  had  just  left ;  and  throwing 
himself  on  his  knees,  again  screamed  out,  "  Oh,  mercy, 
mercy,  mercy  ! — For  God's  sake,  have  mercy,  if  you  expect 
any  ! — Oh,  God  !  my  wife  and  babes  !  " 

His  prayers,  I  lament  to  say,  had  no  effect  on  the  exas- 
perated seamen.  He  then  fell  into  a  fit  of  cursing  and 
blasphemy,  evidently  bereft  of  his  senses ;  and  in  this  state 
he  continued  for  some  minutes,  while  we  lay  alongside,  the 
bowman  holding  on  with  the  boat-hook  only.  I  was 
secretly  determined  not  to  leave  him,  although  I  foresaw  a 
mutiny  in  the  boat  in  consequence.  At  length,  I  gave  the 
order  to  shove  off.  The  unhappy  captain,  who,  till  that 
moment,  might  have  entertained  some  faint  hope  from  the 
lurking  compassion  which  he  perceived  I  felt  for  him,  now 
resigned  himself  to  despair  of  a  more  sullen  and  horrible 
aspect.  He  sat  himself  down  on  one  of  the  hen-coops,  and 
gazed  on  us  with  a  ghastly  eye.  I  cannot  remember  ever 
seeing  a  more  shocking  picture  of  human  misery. 

While  I  looked  at  him,  the  black  man,  Mungo,  who  be- 
longed to  the  ship,  sprang  overboard  from  the  boat,  and 


The  Naval  Officer  269 

swam  back  to  the  wreck.  Seizing  a  rope  which  hung  from 
the  gangway,  he  ascended  the  side,  and  joined  his  master. 
We  called  to  him  to  come  back,  or  we  should  leave  him 
behind. 

"No,  massa,"  replied  the  faithful  creature;  "me  no 
want  to  lib  :  no  takee  Massa  Green,  no  takee  me  !  Mungo 
lib  good  many  years  wi  massa  cappen.  Mungo  die  wi 
massa,  and  go  back  to  Guinea !  " 

I  now  thought  we  had  given  the  captain  a  sufficient 
lesson  for  his  treachery  and  murderous  intentions.  Had  I, 
indeed,  ever  seriously  intended  to  leave  him,  the  conduct 
of  poor  Mungo  would  have  awakened  me  to  a  sense  of 
my  duty.  I  ordered  Thompson,  who  was  steering  the 
boat,  to  put  the  helm  a-starboard,  and  lay  her  alongside 
again.  No  sooner  was  this  command  given,  than  three  or 
four  of  the  men  jumped  up  in  a  menacing  attitude,  and  swore 
that  they  would  not  go  back  for  him  ;  that  he  was  the 
cause  of  all  their  sufferings ;  and  that  if  I  chose  to  share 
his  fate,  I  might,  but  into  the  boat  he  should  not  come. 
One  of  them,  more  daring  than  the  rest,  attempted  to  take 
the  tiller  out  of  Thompson's  hand ;  but  the  trusty  seaman 
seized  him  by  the  collar,  and  in  an  instant  threw  him  over- 
board. The  other  men  were  coming  aft  to  avenge  this 
treatment  of  their  leader ;  but  I  drew  my  sword,  and 
pointing  it  at  the  breast  of  the  nearest  mutineer,  desired 
him,  on  pain  of  instant  death,  to  return  to  his  seat.  He 
had  heard  my  character,  and  knew  that  I  was  not  to  be 
trifled  with. 

A  mutineer  is  easily  subdued  with  common  firmness. 
He  obeyed,  but  was  very  sullen,  and  I  heard  many 
mutinous  expressions  among  the  men.  One  of  them  said 
that  I  was  not  their  officer — that  I  did  not  belong  to  the 
frigate. 

"  That,"  I  replied,  "  is  a  case  of  which  I  shall  not  allow 
you  to  be  the  judges.  I  hold  in  my  pocket  a  commission 
from  the  King's  Lord  High  Admiral,  or  the  commissioners 
for  executing  that  duty.  Your  captain,  and  mine  also, 
holds  a  similar  commission.     Under  this  authority  I  act. 


270  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

Let  me  see  the  man  that  dares  dispute  it — I  will  hang  him 
at  the  yard-arm  of  the  wreck  before  she  goes  down ;  and, 
looking  at  the  man  whom  Thompson  had  thrown  over- 
board, and  who  still  held  by  the  gunwale  of  the  boat, 
without  daring  to  get  in,  I  asked  him  if  he  would  obey 
me  or  not  ?  He  replied  that  he  would,  and  hoped  I  would 
forgive  him.  I  said  that  my  forgiveness  would  depend 
entirely  on  the  conduct  of  himself  and  the  others  ;  that  he 
must  recollect  that  if  our  own  ship,  or  any  other  man-of- 
war,  picked  us  up,  he  was  liable,  with  three  or  four  more, 
to  be  hanged  for  mutiny ;  and  that  nothing  but  his  and 
their  future  obedience  could  save  them  from  that  punish- 
ment, whenever  we  reached  a  port. 

This  harangue  had  a  very  tranquillising  effect.  The 
offenders  all  begged  pardon,  and  assured  me  they  would 
deserve  my  forgiveness  by  their  future  submission. 

All  this  passed  at  some  little  distance  from  the  wreck, 
but  within  hearing ;  and  while  it  was  going  on,  the  wind, 
which  had  been  fair  when  we  put  off,  gradually  died 
away,  and  blew  faintly  from  the  south-west,  directly 
towards  the  sinking  wreck.  I  took  advantage  of  this  cir- 
cumstance to  read  them  a  lecture.  When  I  had  subdued 
them,  and  worked  a  little  on  their  feelings,  I  said  I  never 
knew  any  good  come  of  cruelty :  whenever  a  ship  or  a 
boat  had  left  a  man  behind  who  might  have  been  saved, 
that  disaster  or  destruction  had  invariably  attended  those 
who  had  so  cruelly  acted ;  that  I  was  quite  sure  we  never 
should  escape  from  this  danger,  if  we  did  not  show  mercy 
to  our  fellow-creatures.  "  God,"  said  I,  "has  shown 
mercy  to  us,  in  giving  us  this  excellent  boat,  to  save  us  in 
our  imminent  danger ;  and  He  seems  to  say  to  us  now, 
'  Go  back  to  the  wreck,  and  rescue  your  fellow-sufferer.' 
The  wind  blows  directly  towards  her,  and  is  foul  for  the 
point  in  which  we  intend  to  steer ;  hasten,  then,"  pursued 
I,  "obey  the  Divine  will;  do  your  duty,  and  trust  in  God. 
I  shall  then  be  proud  to  command  you,  and  have  no  doubt 
of  bringing  you  safe  into  port." 

This  was  the  "  pliant  hour ; "  they  sprang  upon  their 


The  Naval  Officer  271 

oars,  and  pulled  back  to  the  wreck  with  alacrity.  The 
poor  captain,  who  had  witnessed  all  that  passed,  watched 
the  progress  of  his  cause  with  deep  anxiety.  No  sooner 
did  the  boat  touch  the  ship,  than  he  leaped  into  her,  fell 
down  on  his  knees,  and  thanked  God  aloud  for  his  deliver- 
ance. He  then  fell  on  my  neck,  embraced  me,  kissed  my 
cheek,  and  wept  like  a  girl.  The  sailors,  meanwhile,  who 
never  bear  malice  long,  good-naturedly  jumped  up,  and 
assisted  him  in  getting  his  little  articles  into  the  boat ;  and 
as  Mungo  followed  his  master,  shook  hands  with  him  all 
round,  and  swore  he  should  be  a  black  prince  when  he 
went  back  to  Guinea.  We  also  took  in  one  or  two  more 
little  articles  of  general  use,  which  had  been  forgotten  in 
our  former  hurry. 

We  now  shoved  off  for  the  last  time  ;  and  had  not  pro- 
ceeded more  than  two  hundred  yards  from  the  ship,  when 
she  gave  a  heavy  lurch  on  one  side,  recovered  it,  and 
rolled  as  deep  on  the  other  ;  then,  as  if  endued  with  life 
and  instinct,  gave  a  pitch,  and  went  down,  head  foremost, 
into  the  fathomless  deep.  We  had  scarcely  time  to  behold 
this  awful  scene,  when  the  wind  again  sprang  up  fair,  from 
its  old  quarter,  the  east. 

"There,"  said  I,  "Heaven  has  declared  itself  in  your 
favour  already.     You  have  got  your  fair  wind  again." 

We  thanked  God  for  this  ;  and  having  set  our  sail,  I 
shaped  my  course  for  Cape  St  Thomas,  and  we  went  to 
our  frugal  dinner  with  cheerful  and  grateful  hearts. 

The  weather  was  fine — the  sea  tolerably  smooth — and 
as  we  had  plenty  of  provisions  and  water,  we  did  not  suffer 
much,  except  from  an  apprehension  of  a  change  of  wind, 
and  the  knowledge  of  our  precarious  situation.  On  the 
fifth  day  after  leaving  the  wreck  we  discovered  land  at  a 
great  distance.  I  knew  it  to  be  the  island  of  Trinidad  and 
the  rocks  of  Martin  Vas.  This  island,  which  lies  in 
latitude  twenty  degrees  south,  and  longitude  thirty  degrees 
west,  is  not  to  be  confounded  with  the  island  of  the  same 
name  on  the  coast  of  Terra  Firma,  in  the  West  Indies,  and 
now  a  British  colony. 


272  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

On  consulting  Horseberg,  which  I  had  in  the  boat,  I 
found  that  the  island  which  we  were  now  approaching  was 
formerly  inhabited  by  the  Portuguese,  but  long  since 
abandoned.  I  continued  steering  towards  it  during  the 
night,  until  we  heard  the  breakers  roaring  against  the 
rocks,  when  I  hove-to,  to  windward  of  the  land,  till  day- 
light. 

The  morning  presented  to  our  view  a  precipitous  and 
rugged  iron-bound  coast,  with  high  and  pointed  rocks, 
frowning  defiance  over  the  unappeaseable  and  furious 
waves  which  broke  incessantly  at  their  feet,  and  recoiled 
to  repeat  the  blow.  Thus  for  ages  had  they  been  em- 
ployed, and  thus  for  ages  will  they  continue,  without 
making  any  impression  visible  to  the  eye  of  man.  To  land 
was  impossible  on  the  part  of  the  coast  now  under  our 
inspection,  and  we  coasted  along,  in  hopes  of  finding  some 
haven  into  which  we  might  haul  our  boat,  and  secure  her. 
The  island  appeared  to  be  about  nine  miles  long,  evidently 
of  volcanic  formation,  an  assemblage  of  rocky  mountains 
towering  several  hundred  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea. 
It  was  barren,  except  at  the  summit  of  the  hills,  where 
some  trees  formed  a  coronet,  at  once  beautiful  and  refresh- 
ing, but  tantalising  to  look  at,  as  they  appeared  utterly 
inaccessible  ;  and  even  supposing  I  could  have  discovered 
a  landing-place,  I  was  in  great  doubt  whether  I  should 
have  availed  myself  of  it,  as  the  island  appeared  to  produce 
nothing  which  could  have  added  to  our  comfort,  while 
delay  would  only  have  uselessly  consumed  our  provisions. 
There  did  not  appear  to  be  a  living  creature  on  the  island, 
and  the  danger  of  approaching  to  find  a  landing-place  was 
most  imminent. 

This  unpromising  appearance  induced  me  to  propose 
that  we  should  continue  our  course  to  Rio  Janeiro.  The 
men  were  of  another  opinion.  They  said  they  had  been 
too  long  afloat,  cooped  up,  and  that  they  should  prefer 
remaining  on  the  island  to  risking  their  lives  any  longer,  in 
so  frail  a  boat,  on  the  wide  ocean.  We  were  still  debat- 
ing, when  we  came  to  a  small  spot  of  sand,  on  which  we 


The  Naval  Officer 


*73 


discovered  two  wild  hogs,  which  we  conjectured  had  come 
down  to  feed  on  the  shell  fish ;  this  decided  them,  and  I 
consented  to  run  to  leeward  of  the  island,  and  seek  for  a 
landing-place.  We  sounded  the  west  end,  following  the 
remarks  of  Horseberg,  and  ran  for  the  cove  of  the  Nine- 
Pin  Rock.  As  we  opened  it,  a  scene  of  grandeur  pre- 
sented  itself,  which  we  had  never  met  with  before,  and 
which  in  its  kind  is  probably  unrivalled  in  nature.  An 
enormous  rock  rose,  nearly  perpendicularly,  out  of  the  sea, 
to  the  height  of  nine  hundred  or  one  thousand  feet.  It 
was  as  narrow  at  the  base  as  it  was  at  the  top,  and  was 
formed  exactly  in  the  shape  of  the  nine-pin,  from  which 
it  derives  its  name.  The  sides  appeared  smooth  and  even 
to  the  top,  which  was  covered  with  verdure,  and  was  so 
far  above  us  that  the  sea  birds,  which  in  myriads  screamed 
around  it,  were  scarcely  visible  two-thirds  of  the  way  up. 
The  sea  beat  violently  against  its  base — the  feathered  tribe, 
in  endless  variety,  had  been  for  ages  the  undisturbed 
tenants  of  this  natural  monument  •,  all  its  jutting  points  and 
little  projections  were  covered  with  their  white  dung,  and 
it  seemed  to  me  a  wonderful  effort  of  Nature,  which  had 
placed  this  mass  in  the  position  which  it  held,  in  spite  of 
the  utmost  efforts  of  the  winds  and  waves  of  the  wide 
ocean. 

Another  curious  phenomenon  appeared  at  the  other  end 
of  the  cove.  The  lava  had  poured  down  into  the  sea,  and 
formed  a  stratum  ;  a  second  river  of  fused  rock  had  poured 
again  over  the  first,  and  had  cooled  so  rapidly  as  to  hang 
suspended,  not  having  joined  the  former  strata,  but  leaving 
a  vacuum  between  for  the  water  to  fill  up.  The  sea  dashed 
violently  between  the  two  beds,  and  spouted  magnificently 
through  holes  in  the  upper  bed  of  lava  to  the  height  of 
sixty  feet,  resembling  much  the  spouting  of  a  whale,  but 
with  a  noise  and  force  infinitely  greater.  The  sound  in- 
deed was  tremendous,  hollow,  and  awful.  I  could  not 
help  mentally  adoring  the  works  of  the  Creator,  and  my 
heart  sunk  within  me  at  my  own  insignificance,  folly,  and 
wickedness. 

M  S 


274  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

As  we  were  now  running  along  the  shore,  looking  for 
our  landing-place,  and  just  going  to  take  in  the  sail,  the 
American  captain,  who  sat  close  to  the  man  at  the  helm, 
seemed  attentively  watching  something  on  the  larboard 
bow  of  the  boat.  In  an  instant  he  exclaimed,  "  Put  your 
helm,  my  good  fellow,  port-hard."  These  words  he 
accompanied  with  a  push  of  the  helm  so  violent,  as  almost 
to  throw  the  man  overboard  who  sat  on  the  larboard 
quarter.  At  the  same  moment,  a  heavy  sea  lifted  the 
boat,  and  sent  her  many  yards  beyond,  and  to  the  right  of 
a  pointed  rock,  just  flush  or  even  with  the  water,  which 
had  escaped  our  notice,  and  which  none  suspected  but  the 
American  captain  (for  these  rocks  do  not  show  breakers 
every  minute,  if  they  did  they  would  be  easily  avoided). 
On  this  we  should  most  certainly  have  been  dashed  to 
pieces,  had  not  the  danger  been  seen  and  avoided  by  the 
sudden  and  skilful  motion  of  the  helm  ;  one  moment  more, 
and  one  foot  nearer,  and  we  were  gone. 

"  Merciful  God  !  "  said  I,  Xi  to  what  fate  am  I  reserved 
at  last  ?  How  can  I  be  sufficiently  thankful  for  so  much 
goodness  ? " 

I  thanked  the  American  for  his  attention — :told  my  men 
how  much  we  were  indebted  to  him,  and  how  amply  he 
had  repaid  our  kindness  in  taking  him  off  the  wreck. 

"  Ah,  lieutenant,"  said  the  poor  man,  "  it  is  a  small  turn 
I've  done  you  for  the  kindness  you  have  shown  to  me." 

The  water  was  very  deep,  the  rocks  being  steep ;  so, 
we  lowered  our  sail,  and  getting  our  oars  out,  pulled  in  to 
look  for  a  landing.  At  the  farther  end  of  the  cove,  we 
discovered  the  wreck  of  a  vessel  lying  on  the  beach. 
She  was  broken  in  two,  and  appeared  to  be  copper- 
bottomed.  This  increased  the  eagerness  of  the  men  to 
land  ;  we  rowed  close  to  the  shore,  but  found  that  the 
boat  would  be  dashed  to  pieces  if  we  attempted  it.  The 
midshipman  proposed  that  one  of  us  should  swim  on  shore, 
and,  by  ascending  a  hill,  discover  a  place  to  lay  the  boat 
in.  This  I  agreed  to ;  and  the  quarter-master  immediately 
threw  off  his  clothes.     I  made  a  lead-line  fast  to  him  under 


The  Naval  Officer  zy$ 

his  arms,  that  we  might  pull  him  in  if  we  found  him  ex- 
hausted. He  went  over  the  surf  with  great  ease,  until  he 
came  to  the  breakers  on  the  beach,  through  which  he 
could  not  force  his  way ;  for  the  moment  he  touched  the 
ground  with  his  foot,  the  recoil  of  the  sea,  and  what  is 
called  by  sailors  the  undertow,  carried  him  back  again, 
and  left  him  in  the  rear  of  the  last  wave. 

Three  times  the  brave  fellow  made  the  attempt,  and 
with  the  same  result.  At  last  he  sunk,  and  we  pulled  him 
in  very  nearly  dead.  We,  however,  restored  him  by  care 
and  attention,  and  he  went  again  to  his  usual  duty.  The 
midshipman  now  proposed  that  he  should  try  to  swim 
through  the  surf  without  the  line,  for  that  alone  had 
impeded  the  progress  of  the  quarter-master;  this  was 
true,  but  I  would  not  allow  him  to  run  the  risk,  and  we 
pulled  along  shore,  until  we  came  to  a  rock  on  which  the 
surf  beat  very  high,  and  which  we  avoided  in  consequence. 
This  rock  we  discovered  to  be  detached  from  the  main ; 
and  within  it,  to  our  great  joy,  we  saw  smooth  water ;  we 
pulled  in,  and  succeeded  in  landing  without  much  difficulty, 
and  having  secured  our  boat  to  a  grapnel,  and  left  two 
trusty  men  in  charge  of  her,  I  proceeded  with  the  rest  to 
explore  the  cove ;  our  attention  was  naturally  first  directed 
to  the  wreck  which  we  had  passed  in  the  boat,  and,  after 
a  quarter  of  an  hour's  scrambling  over  huge  fragments  of 
broken  rocks,  which  had  been  detached  from  the  sides  of 
the  hill,  and  encumbered  the  beach,  we  arrived  at  the 
spot. 

The  wreck  proved  to  be  a  beautiful  copper-bottomed 
schooner,  of  about  a  hundred  and  eighty  tons  burthen. 
She  had  been  dashed  on  shore  with  great  violence,  and 
thrown  many  yards  above  the  high-water  mark.  Her 
masts  and  spars  were  lying  in  all  directions  on  the  beach, 
which  was  strewed  with  her  cargo.  This  consisted  of 
a  variety  of  toys  and  hardware,  musical  instruments, 
violins,  flutes,  fifes,  and  bird-organs.  Some  few  remains 
of  books,  which  I  picked  up,  were  French  romances,  with 
indelicate  plates,  and  still  worse  text.     These  proved  the 


2  7 6  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

vessel  to  be  French.  At  a  short  distance  from  the  wreck, 
on  a  rising  knoll,  we  found  three  or  four  huts,  rudely 
constructed  out  of  the  fragments  -9  and,  a  little  farther  off, 
a  succession  of  graves,  each  surmounted  with  a  cross.  I 
examined  the  huts,  which  contained  some  rude  and  simple 
relics  of  human  tenancy :  a  few  benches  and  tables,  com- 
posed of  boards  roughly  hewn  out  and  nailed  together; 
bones  of  goats,  and  of  the  wild  hog,  with  the  remains  of 
burnt  wood.  But  we  could  not  discover  any  traces  of  the 
name  of  the  vessel  or  owner  ;  nor  were  there  any  names 
marked  or  cut  on  the  boards,  as  might  have  been  expected, 
to  show  to  whom  the  vessel  belonged,  and  what  had 
become  of  the  survivors. 

This  studied  concealment  of  all  information  led  us  to 
the  most  accurate  knowledge  of  her  port  of  departure,  her 
destination,  and  her  object  of  trade.  Being  on  the  south- 
west side  of  the  island,  with  her  head  lying  to  the  north- 
east, she  had,  beyond  all  doubt,  been  running  from  Rio 
Janeiro  towards  the  coast  of  Africa,  and  got  on  shore  in  the 
night.  That  she  was  going  to  fetch  a  cargo  of  slaves  was 
equally  clear,  not  only  from  the  baubles  with  which  she 
was  freighted,^but  also  from  the  interior  fitting  of  the  vessel, 
and  from  a  number  of  hand  and  leg  shackles  which  we 
found  among  the  wreck,  and  which  we  knew  were  only 
used  for  the  purposes  of  confining  and  securing  the  un- 
happy victims  of  this  traffic. 

We  took  up  our  quarters  in  the  huts  for  the  night,  and 
the  next  morning  divided  ourselves  into  three  parties,  to 
explore  the  island.  I  have  before  observed  that  we  had 
muskets,  but  no  powder,  and  therefore  stood  little  chance 
of  killing  any  of  the  goats  or  wild  hogs,  with  which  we 
found  the  island  abounded.  One  party  sought  the  means 
of  attaining  the  highest  summit  of  the  island  ;  another 
went  along  the  shore  to  the  westward ;  while  myself  and 
two  others  went  to  the  eastward.  We  crossed  several 
ravines,  with  much  difficulty,  until  we  reached  a  long 
valley,  which  seemed  to  intersect  the  island. 

Here  a  wonderful  and  most  melancholy   phenomenon 


The  Naval  Officer  277 

arrested  our  attention.  Thousands  and  thousands  of  trees 
covered  the  valley,  each  of  them  about  thirty  feet  high; 
but  every  tree  was  dead,  and  extended  its  leafless  boughs 
to  another — a  forest  of  desolation,  as  if  nature  had  at  some 
particular  moment  ceased  to  vegetate !  There  was  no 
underwood  or  grass.  On  the  lowest  of  the  dead  boughs, 
the  gannets,  and  other  sea  birds,  had  built  their  nests  in 
numbers  unaccountable.  Their  tameness,  as  Cooper  says, 
"  was  shocking  to  me."  So  unaccustomed  did  they  seem 
to  man,  that  the  mothers,  brooding  over  their  young,  only 
opened  their  beaks,  in  a  menacing  attitude  at  us,  as  we 
passed  by  them. 

How  to  account  satisfactorily  for  the  simultaneous 
destruction  of  this  vast  forest  of  trees,  was  very  difficult ; 
there  was  no  want  of  rich  earth  for  nourishment  of  the 
roots.  The  most  probable  cause  appeared  to  me,  a  sudden 
and  continued  eruption  of  sulphuric  effluvia  from  the 
volcano ;  or  else,  by  some  unusually  heavy  gale  of  wind 
or  hurricane,  the  trees  had  been  drenched  with  salt  water 
to  their  roots.  One  or  the  other  of  these  causes  must 
have  produced  the  effect.  The  philosopher,  or  the 
geologist,  must  decide. 

We  had  the  consolation  to  know  that  we  should  at  least 
experience  no  want  of  food — the  nests  of  the  birds  afford- 
ing us  a  plentiful  supply  of  eggs,  and  young  ones  of  every 
age ;  with  these  we  returned  loaded  to  the  cove.  The 
party  that  had  gone  to  the  westward,  reported  having  seen 
some  wild  hogs,  but  were  unable  to  secure  any  of  them  ; 
and  those  who  had  attempted  to  ascend  the  mountain, 
returned  much  fatigued,  and  one  of  their  number  missing. 
They  reported  that  they  had  gained  the  summit  of  the 
mountain,  where  they  had  discovered  a  large  plain,  skirted 
by  a  species  of  fern  tree,  from  twelve  to  eighteen  feet  high 
— that  on  this  plain  they  had  seen  a  herd  of  goats  ;  and 
among  them,  could  distinguish  one  of  enormous  size, 
which  appeared  to  be  their  leader.  He  was  as  large  as  a 
pony  ;  but  all  attempts  to  take  one  of  them  were  utterly 
fruitless.     The  man  who  was  missing  had  followed  them 


278  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

farther  than  they  had.  They  waited  some  time  for  his 
return ;  but  as  he  did  not  come  to  them,  they  concluded 
he  had  taken  some  other  route  to  the  cove.  I  did  not 
quite  like  this  story,  fearing  some  dreadful  accident  had 
befallen  the  poor  fellow,  for  whom  we  kept  a  watch,  and 
had  a  fire  burning  the  whole  night,  which,  like  the  former 
one,  we  passed  in  the  huts.  We  had  an  abundant  supply 
of  fire-wood  from  the  wreck,  and  a  stream  of  clear  water 
ran  close  by  our  little  village. 

The  next  morning,  a  party  was  sent  in  search  of  the 
man,  and  some  were  sent  to  fetch  a  supply  of  young 
gannets  for  our  dinner.  The  latter  brought  back  with 
them  as  many  young  birds  as  would  suffice  for  two  or 
three  days ;  but  of  the  three  who  went  in  quest  of  the 
missing  man,  only  two  returned.  They  reported  that  they 
could  gain  no  tidings  of  him :  that  they  had  missed  one  of 
their  own  number,  who  had,  no  doubt,  gone  in  pursuit  of 
his  shipmate. 

This  intelligence  occasioned  a  great  deal  of  anxiety,  and 
many  surmises.  The  most  prevalent  opinion  seemed  to  be 
that  there  were  wild  beasts  on  the  island,  and  that  our 
poor  friends  had  become  a  prey  to  them.  I  determined, 
the  next  morning,  to  go  in  search  of  them  myself,  taking 
one  or  two  chosen  men  with  me.  I  should  have  mentioned, 
that  when  we  left  the  sinking  vessel,  we  had  taken  out  a 
poodle  dog,  that  was  on  board — first,  because  I  would  not 
allow  the  poor  animal  to  perish;  and,  secondly,  because 
we  might,  if  we  had  no  better  food,  make  a  dinner  of  him. 
This  was  quite  fair,  as  charity  begins  at  home. 

This  faithful  animal  became  much  attached  to  me,  from 
whom  he  invariably  received  his  portion  of  food.  He 
never  quitted  me,  nor  followed  any  one  else ;  and  he  was 
my  companion  when  I  went  on  this  excursion. 

We  reached  the  summit  of  the  first  mountain,  whence 
we  saw  the  goats  browsing  on  the  second,  and  meant  to 
go  there  in  pursuit  of  the  objects  of  our  anxious  search. 
I  was  some  yards  in  advance  of  my  companions,  and  the 
dog  a  little  distance  before  me,  near  the  shelving  part  of 


The  Naval  Officer  279 

a  rock,  terminating  in  a  precipice.  The  shelf  I  had  to 
cross  was  about  six  or  seven  feet  wide,  and  ten  or  twelve 
long,  with  a  very  little  inclined  plane  towards  the  precipice, 
so  that  I  thought  it  perfectly  safe.  A  small  rill  of  water 
trickled  down  from  the  rock  above  it,  and,  losing  itself 
among  the  moss  and  grass,  fell  over  the  precipice  below, 
which  indeed  was  of  a  frightful  depth. 

This  causeway  was  to  all  appearance  safe,  compared 
with  many  which  we  had  passed,  and  I  was  just  going 
to  step  upon  it,  when  my  dog  ran  before  me,  jumped  on 
the  fatal  pass — his  feet  slipped  from  under  him — he  fell, 
and  disappeared  over  the  precipice  !  I  started  back — I 
heard  a  heavy  squelch  and  a  howl  •,  another  fainter  suc- 
ceeded, and  all  was  still.  I  advanced  with  the  utmost 
caution  to  the  edge  of  the  precipice,  where  I  discovered 
that  the  rill  of  water  had  nourished  a  short  moss,  close  and 
smooth  as  velvet,  and  so  slippery  as  not  to  admit  of  the 
lightest  footstep  ;  this  accounted  for  the  sudden  disappear- 
ance, and,  as  I  concluded,  the  inevitable  death  of  my  dog. 

My  first  thoughts  were  those  of  gratitude  for  my 
miraculous  escape ;  my  second  unwillingly  glanced  at 
the  fate  of  my  poor  men,  too  probably  lying  lifeless  at 
the  foot  of  this  mountain.  I  stated  my  fears  to  the  two 
seamen  who  were  with  me,  and  who  had  just  come  up. 
The  whole  bore  too  much  the  appearance  of  truth  to 
admit  of  a  doubt.  "We  descended  the  ruins  by  a  circuitous 
and  winding  way ;  and,  after  an  hour's  difficult  and 
dangerous  walk,  we  reached  the  spot,  where  all  our  fears 
were  too  fully  confirmed.  There  lay  the  two  dead  bodies 
of  our  companions,  and  that  of  my  dog,  all  mangled  in 
a  shocking  manner ;  both,  it  would  appear,  had  attempted 
to  cross  the  shelf  in  the  same  careless  way  which  I  was 
about  to  do,  when  Providence  interposed  the  dog  in  my 
behalf. 

This  singular  dispensation  was  not  lost  upon  me ; 
indeed,  latterly,  I  had  been  in  such  perils,  and  seen  such 
hair-breadth  escapes,  that  I  became  quite  an  altered  and 
reflecting  character.     I  returned  to  my  men  at  the  cove, 


280  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

thoughtful  and  melancholy  ;  I  told  them  of  what  had 
happened  ;  and,  having  a  Prayer-book  with  me  in  my 
trunk,  I  proposed  to  them  that  I  should  read  the  evening 
prayers,  and  a  thanksgiving  for  our  deliverance. 

In  this,  the  American  captain,  whose  name  was  Green, 
most  heartily  concurred.  Indeed,  ever  since  this  poor 
man  had  been  received  into  the  boat,  he  had  been  a  very 
different  character  to  what  I  had  at  first  supposed  him  ; 
he  constantly  refused  his  allowance  of  spirits,  giving  it 
among  the  sailors  ;  he  was  silent  and  meditative  ;  I  often 
found  him  in  prayer,  and  on  these  occasions  I  never  in- 
terrupted him.  At  other  times,  he  studied  how  he  might 
make  himself  most  useful.  He  would  patch  and  mend 
the  people's  clothes  and  shoes,  or  show  them  how  to  do 
it  for  themselves.  Whenever  any  hard  work  was  to  be 
done,  he  was  always  the  first  to  begin,  and  the  last  to 
leave  off;  and  to  such  a  degree  did  he  carry  his  attention 
and  kindness,  that  we  all  began  to  love  him,  and  to  treat 
him  with  great  respect.  He  took  charge  of  a  watch  when 
we  were  at  sea,  and  never  closed  his  eyes  during  his  hour 
of  duty. 

Nor  was  this  the  effect  of  fear,  or  the  dread  of  ill-usage 
among  so  many  Englishmen,  whom  his  errors  had  led  into 
so  much  misfortune.  He  very  soon  had  an  opportunity  of 
proving  that  his  altered  conduct  was  the  effect  of  sorrow 
and  repentance.  The  next  morning  I  sent  a  party  round 
by  the  sea-shore,  with  directions  to  walk  up  the  valley  and 
bury  the  bodies  of  our  unfortunate  companions.  The  two 
men  who  had  accompanied  me  were  of  the  number  sent  on 
this  service ;  when  they  returned,  I  pointed  out  to  them 
how  disastrous  our  residence  had  been  on  this  fatal  island, 
and  how  much  better  it  had  been  for  us  if  we  had  continued 
our  course  to  Rio  Janeiro,  which,  being  only  two  hundred 
and  fifty  or  two  hundred  and  sixty  leagues  distant,  we 
should  by  that  time  nearly  have  reached :  that  we  were  now 
expending  the  most  valuable  part  of  our  provisions, 
namely — our  spirits  and  tobacco ;  while  our  boat,  our  only 
hope  and  resource,  was  not  even  in  safety,  since  a  gale  of 


The  Naval  Officer  281 

wind  might  destroy  her.  I  therefore  proposed  to  make 
immediate  preparations  for  our  departure,  to  which  ail 
unanimously  agreed. 

We  divided  the  various  occupations ;  some  went  to  fetch 
a  sea  stock  of  young  birds,  which  were  killed  and  dressed 
to  save  our  salt  provisions  ;  others  filled  all  our  water-casks. 
Captain  Green  superintended  the  rigging,  sails,  and  oars  of 
the  boat,  and  saw  that  every  thing  was  complete  in  that 
department.  The  spirits  remaining  were  getting  low,  and 
Captain  Green,  the  midshipman,  and  myself,  agreed  to 
drink  none,  but  reserve  it  for  pressing  emergencies.  In 
three  days  after  beginning  our  preparations,  and  the 
seventh  after  our  landing,  we  embarked,  and  after  being 
nearly  swamped  by  the  surf,  once  more  hoisted  our  sail  on 
the  wide  waters  of  the  Atlantic  Ocean. 

We  were  not  destined,  however,  to  encounter  many 
dangers  this  time,  or  to  reach  the  coast  of  South  America : 
for  we  had  not  been  many  hours  at  sea,  when  a  vessel  hove 
in  sight ;  she  proved  to  be  an  American  privateer  brig,  of 
fourteen  guns  and  one  hundred  and  thirty  men,  bound  on 
a  cruise  off  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope.  As  soon  as  she  per- 
ceived us,  she  bore  down,  and  in  half-an-hour  we  were  safe 
on  board  ;  when  having  bundled  all  our  little  stock  of  goods 
on  her  decks,  the  boat  was  cut  adrift.  My  men  were  not 
well  treated  until  they  consented  to  enter  for  the  privateer, 
which,  after  much  persuasion  and  threats,  they  all  did, 
except  Thompson,  contrary  to  my  strongest  remonstrances, 
and  urging  every  argument  in  my  power  to  dissuade  them 
from  such  a  fatal  step. 

I  remonstrated  with  the  captain  of  the  privateer,  on  what 
I  deemed  a  violation  of  hospitality.  "  You  found  me,"  I 
said,  "  on  the  wide  ocean,  in  a  frail  boat,  which  some  huge 
wave  might  have  overwhelmed  in  a  moment,  or  some  fish, 
in  sport,  might  have  tossed  in  the  air,,  You  received  me 
and  my  people  with  all  the  kindness  and  friendship  which 
we  could  desire  ;  but  you  mar  it,  by  seducing  the  men  from 
their  allegiance  to  their  lawful  sovereign,  inducing  them  to 
become  rebels,  and  subjecting  them  to  a  capital  punishment 


282  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

whenever  they  may  (as  they  most  probably  will)  fall  into 
the  hands  of  their  own  government." 

The  captain,  who  was  an  unpolished,  but  sensible,  clear- 
headed Yankee,  replied  that  he  was  sorry  I  should  take 
any  thing  ill  of  him ;  that  no  affront  was  meant  to  me ;  that 
he  had  nothing  whatever  to  do  with  my  men,  until  they 
came  voluntarily  to  him,  and  entered  for  his  vessel ;  that  he 
could  not  but  admit,  however,  that  they  might  have  been 
persuaded  to  take  this  step  by  some  of  his  own  people. 
"  And,  now,  Leftenant,"  said  he,  "  let  me  ask  you  a  ques- 
tion. Suppose  you  commanded  a  British  vessel,  and  ten  or 
twelve  of  my  men,  if  I  was  unlucky  enough  to  be  taken  by 
you,  should  volunteer  for  your  ship,  and  say  they  were 
natives  of  Newcastle,  would  you  refuse  them  ?  Besides, 
before  we  went  to  war  with  you,  you  made  no  ceremony  of 
taking  men  out  of  our  merchant-ships,  and  even  out  of  our 
ships  of  war,  whenever  you  had  an  opportunity.  Now, 
pray,  where  is  the  difference  between  your  conduct  and 


ours 


?» 


I  replied,  that  it  would  not  be  very  easy,  nor,  if  it  were, 
would  it  answer  any  good  purpose,  for  us  to  discuss  a 
question  that  had  puzzled  the  wisest  heads,  both  in  his 
country  and  mine  for  the  last  twenty  years  ;  that  my 
present  business  was  a  case  of  its  own,  and  must  be 
considered  abstractedly;  that  the  fortune  of  war  had 
thrown  me  in  his  power,  and  that  he  made  a  bad  use 
of  the  temporary  advantage  of  his  situation,  by  allowing 
my  men,  who,  after  all,  were  poor,  ignorant  creatures, 
to  be  seduced  from  their  duty,  to  desert  their  flag,  and 
commit  high  treason,  by  which  their  lives  were  forfeited, 
and  their  families  rendered  miserable;  that  whatever 
might  have  been  the  conduct  of  his  government  or  mine, 
whatever  line  pursued  by  this  or  that  captain,  no  precedent 
could  make  wrong  right ;  and  I  left  it  to  himself  (seeing 
I  had  no  other  resource)  to  say,  whether  he  was  doing  as 
he  would  be  done  by  ?  " 

"  As  for  that  matter,"  said  the  captain,  "  we  privateer's- 
men  don't  trouble  our  heads  much  about  it ;  we  always 


The  Naval  Officer  283 

take  care  of  Number  One ;  and  if  your  men  choose  to 
say  they  are  natives  of  Boston,  and  will  enter  for  my 
ship,  I  must  take  them.  Why,"  continued  he,  "  there  is 
your  best  man,  Thompson ;  I'd  lay  a  demijohn  of  old 
Jamaica  rum  that  he  is  a  true-blooded  Yankee,  and  if  he 
was  to  speak  his  mind,  would  sooner  fight  under  the 
stripes  than  the  Union." 

"  D n  the  dog  that  says  yon  of  Jock  Thompson," 

replied  the  Caledonian,  who  stood  by.  "I  never  deserted 
my  colours  yet,  and  I  don't  think  I  ever  shall.  There 
is  only  one  piece  of  advice  I  would  wish  to  give  to  your 
and  your  officers,  captain.  I  am  a  civil  spoken  man,  and 
never  injured  any  soul  breathing,  except  in  the  way  of 
fair  fighting  ;  but  if  either  you,  or  any  of  your  crew,  offer 
to  bribe  me,  or  in  any  way  to  make  me  turn  my  back  on 
my  king  and  country,  I'll  lay  him  on  his  back  as  flat  as  a 
flounder,  if  I  am  able,  and  if  I  am  not  able,  I'll  try  for  it." 

"  That's  well  spoken,"  said  the  captain,  "and  I  honour 
you  for  it.  You  may  rely  on  it  that  I  shall  never  tempt 
you,  and  if  any  of  mine  do  it,  they  must  take  their 
chance." 

Captain  Green  heard  all  this  conversation  ;  he  took  no 
part  in  it,  but  walked  the  deck  in  his  usual  pensive 
manner.  When  the  captain  of  the  privateer  went  below 
to  work  his  reckoning,  this  unhappy  man  entered  into 
conversation  with  me — he  began  by  remarking — 

"What  a  noble  specimen  of  a  British  sailor  you  have 
with  you." 

"  Yes,"  I  replied,  "he  is  one  of  the  right  sort — he 
comes  from  the  land  where  the  education  of  the  poor 
contributes  to  the  security  of  the  rich;  where  a  man  is 
never  thought  the  worse  of  for  reading  his  Bible,  and 
where  the  generality  of  the  lower  orders  are  brought 
up  in  the  honest  simplicity  of  primitive  Christians." 

"  I  guess,"  said  Green,  "  that  you  have  not  many  such 
in  your  navy." 

"  More  than  you  would  suppose,"  I  replied ;  "  and 
what  will  astonish  you  is,  that  though  they  are  impressed, 


284  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

they  seldom,  if  ever,  desert  ;  and  yet  they  are  retained 
on  much  lower  wages  than  those  they  were  taken  from, 
or  could  obtain ;  but  they  have  a  high  sense  of  moral 
and  religious  feeling,  which  keeps  them  to  their  duty. 

"  They  must  needs  be  discontented  for  all  that,"  said 
Green. 

"  Not  necessarily  so,"  said  I :  "  they  derive  many  ad- 
vantages from  being  in  the  navy,  which  they  could  not 
have  in  other  employments.  They  have  pensions  for 
long  services  or  wounds,  are  always  taken  care  of  in  their 
old  age,  and  their  widows  and  children  have  much 
favour  shown  them,  by  the  government,  as  well  as  by 
other  public  bodies  and  wealthy  individuals.  But  we 
must  finish  this  discussion  another  time,"  continued  I, 
"  for  I  perceive  the  dinner  is  going  into  the  cabin." 

I  received  from  the  captain  of  the  privateer  every  mark 
of  respect  and  kindness  that  his  means  would  allow. 
Much  of  this  I  owed  to  Green,  and  the  black  man 
Mungo,  both  of  whom  had  represented  my  conduct  in 
saving  the  life  of  him  who  had  endangered  mine  and  that 
of  all  my  party.  Green's  gratitude  knew  no  bounds — 
he  watched  me  night  and  day,  as  a  mother  would  watch 
a  darling  child ;  he  anticipated  any  want  or  wish  I  could 
have,  and  was  never  happy  until  it  was  gratified.  The 
seamen  on  board  the  vessel  were  all  equally  kind  and 
attentive  to  me,  so  highly  did  they  appreciate  the  act 
of  saving  the  life  of  their  countryman,  and  exposing  my 
own  in  quelling  a  mutiny. 

We  cruised  to  the  southward  of  the  Cape,  and  made 
one  or  two  captures  ;  but  they  were  of  little  consequence. 
One  of  them,  being  a  trader  from  Mozambique,  was 
destroyed ;  the  other,  a  slaver  from  Madagascar,  the 
captain  knew  not  what  to  do  with.  He  therefore  took 
out  eight  or  ten  of  the  stoutest  male  negroes,  to  assist 
in  working  his  vessel,  and  then  let  the  prize  go. 


The  Naval  Officer  285 


Chapter  XX 

But  who  is  this  ?  What  thing  of  sea 

Comes  this  way  sailing, 

Like  a  stately  ship 

With  all  her  bravery  on,  and  tackle  trim  ? 

Samson  Agonistes. 

The  privateer  was  called  the  True-blooded  Yankee.  She 
was  first  bound  to  the  island  of  Tristan  d'Acunha,  where 
she  expected  to  meet  her  consort,  belonging  to  the  same 
owners,  and  who  had  preceded  her  when  their  directions 
were  to  cruise  between  the  Cape  and  Madagascar,  for 
certain  homeward  bound  extra  Indiamen,  one  or  two  of 
which  she  hoped  would  reward  all  the  trouble  and  expense 
of  the  outfit. 

We  reached  the  island  without  any  material  incident. 
I  had  observed,  with  concern,  that  the  second  mate, 
whose  name  was  Peleg  Oswald,  was  a  sour,  ferocious, 
quarrelsome  man ;  and  that  although  I  was  kindly  treated 
by  the  captain,  whose  name  was  Peters,  and  by  the  chief 
mate,  whose  name  was  Methusalem  Solomon,  I  never 
could  conciliate  the  good  will  of  Peleg  Oswald. 

Green,  the  captain,  who  came  with  me,  was,  from  the 
time  I  saved  his  life,  an  altered  man.  He  had  been,  as 
I  was  informed,  a  drunken  profligate ;  but  from  the 
moment  when  I  received  him  into  my  boat,  his  manners 
and  habits  seemed  as  completely  changed  as  if  he  were 
a  different  being.  He  never  drank  more  than  was 
sufficient  to  quench  his  thirst — he  never  swore — he  never 
used  any  offensive  language.  He  read  the  Scriptures 
constantly,  was  regular  in  his  morning  and  evening 
devotion,  and  on  every  occasion  of  quarrel  or  ill-will  in 
the  brig,  which  was  perpetually  occurring,  Green  was 
the  umpire  and  the  peace-maker.  He  saved  the  captain 
and  chief  mate  a  world  of  trouble ;  by  this  system, 
violent  language  became  uncommon  on  board,  punish- 
ment  was   very   rare,   and   very   mild.     The   men   were 


286  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

happy,  and  did  their  duty  with  alacrity,  and  but  for 
Peleg  Oswald,  all  would  have  been  harmony. 

We  made  the  island  about  the  15th  of  December,  when 
the  weather  was  such  as  the  season  of  the  year  might 
induce  us  to  expect,  it  being  then  summer.  We  hove 
off  to  the  north  or  windward  side  of  the  island,  about 
two  miles  from  the  shore ;  we  dared  not  go  nearer  on 
that  side,  for  fear  of  what  are  called  the  "  Rollers " — 
a  phenomenon,  it  would  appear,  of  terrific  magnitude, 
on  that  sequestered  little  spot.  On  this  extraordinary 
operation  of  nature,  many  conjectures  have  been  offered, 
but  no  good  or  satisfactory  reason  has  ever  been  assigned 
to  satisfy  my  mind ;  for  the  simple  reason,  that  the  same 
causes  would  produce  the  same  effect  on  St  Helena, 
Ascension,  or  any  other  island  or  promontory  exposed  to 
a  wide  expanse  of  water.  I  shall  attempt  to  describe 
the  scene  that  a  succession  of  Rollers  would  present, 
supposing,  what  has  indeed  happened,  that  a  vessel  is 
caught  on  the  coast  when  coming  in. 

The  water  will  be  perfectly  smooth — not  a  breath  of 
wind — when,  suddenly,  from  the  north,  comes  rolling 
a  huge  wave,  with  a  glassy  surface,  never  breaking  till 
it  meets  the  resistance  of  the  land,  when  it  dashes  down 
with  a  noise  and  a  resistless  violence  that  no  art  or  effort 
of  man  could  elude.  It  is  succeeded  by  others.  No 
anchorage  would  hold  if  there  were  anchorage  to  be 
had ;  but  this  is  not  the  case ;  the  water  is  from  ninety 
to  one  hundred  fathoms  deep,  and  consequently  an  anchor 
and  cable  could  scarcely  afford  a  momentary  check  to  any 
ship  when  thus  assailed  j  or,  if  it  did,  the  sea  would,  by 
being  resisted,  divide,  break  on  board,  and  swamp  her. 

Such  was  the   fate   of  the   unfortunate ,  a   British 

sloop  of  war  ;  which,  after  landing  the  captain  and  six 
men,  was  caught  in  the  rollers,  driven  on  shore,  and  every 
creature  on  board  perished,  only  the  captain  and  his 
boat's  crew  escaping.  This  unfortunate  little  vessel  was 
lost,  not  from  want  of  skill  or  seamanship  in  the  captain 
or  crew,  for  a  finer  set  of  men  never  swam  salt  water ; 


The  Naval  Officer  i%j 

but  from  their  ignorance  of  this  peculiarity  of  the  island, 
unknown  in  any  other  that  I  ever  heard  of,  at  least  to 
such  an  alarming  extent.  Driven  close  in  to  the  land 
before  she  could  find  soundings,  at  last  she  let  go  three 
anchors ;  but  nothing  could  withstand  the  force  of  the 
"  Rollers,"  which  drove  her  in  upon  the  beach,  when 
she  broke  in  two  as  soon  as  she  landed,  and  all  hands 
perished  in  sight  of  the  affected  captain  and  his  boat's 
crew,  who  buried  the  bodies  of  their  unfortunate  ship- 
mates as  soon  as  the  sea  had  delivered  them  up. 

There  is  another  remarkable  peculiarity  in  this  island  : 
its  shores,  to  a  very  considerable  extent  out  to  sea,  are 
surrounded  with  the  plant,  called,  fucus  maxlmus,  mentioned 
by  Captain  Cook ;  it  grows  to  the  depth  of  sixty  fathoms, 
or  one  hundred  and  eighty  feet,  and  reaches  in  one  long 
stem  to  the  surface,  when  it  continues  to  run  along  to  the 
enormous  length  of  three  or  four  hundred  feet,  with 
short  alternate  branches  at  every  foot  of  its  length.  Thus, 
in  the  stormy  ocean,  grows  a  plant,  higher  and  of  greater 
length  than  any  vegetable  production  of  the  surface  of  the 
earth,  not  excepting  the  banyan  tree,  which,  as  its 
branches  touch  the  ground,  takes  fresh  root,  and  may  be 
said  to  form  a  separate  tree.  These  marine  plants  resist  the 
most  powerful  attacks  of  the  mightiest  elements  combined  ; 
the  winds  and  the  waves  in  vain  combine  their  force  against 
them  ;  uniting  their  foliage  on  the  bosom  of  the  waters, 
they  laugh  at  the  hurricane  and  defy  its  power.  The 
leaves  are  alternate,  and  when  the  wind  ruffles  the  water, 
they  flap  over,  one  after  the  other,  with  a  mournful  sound, 
doubly  mournful  to  us  from  the  sad  association  of  ideas, 
and  the  loneliness  of  the  island.  The  branches  or  tendrils 
of  these  plants  are  so  strong  and  buoyant,  when  several 
of  them  happen  to  unite,  that  a  boat  cannot  pass  through 
them  ;  I  tried  with  my  feet  what  pressure  they  would  bear, 
and  I  was  convinced  that,  with  a  pair  of  snow  shoes,  a  man 
might  walk  over  them. 

Captain  Peters  kindly  invited  me  to  go  on  shore  with  him. 
We   landed    with  much  difficulty,  and  proceeded  to  the 


288  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

cottage  of  a  man  who  had  been  left  there  from  choice ;  he 
resided  with  his  family  :  and,  in  imitation  of  another  great 
personage  on  an  island  to  the  northward  of  him,  styled  him- 
self "  Emperor."  A  detachment  of  British  soldiers  had 
been  sent  from  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  to  take  possession 
of  this  spot :  but  after  a  time  they  were  withdrawn. 

His  present  Imperial  Majesty  had,  at  the  time  of  my 
visit,  a  black  consort,  and  many  snuff-coloured  princes  and 
princesses.  He  was  in  other  respects  a  perfect  Robinson 
Crusoe  ;  he  had  a  few  head  of  cattle,  and  some  pigs  ;  these 
latter  have  greatly  multiplied  on  the  island.  Domestic 
fowls  were  numerous,  and  he  had  a  large  piece  of  ground 
planted  with  potatoes,  the  only  place  south  of  the  Equator 
which  produces  them  in  their  native  perfection  ;  the  land 
is  rich  and  susceptible  of  great  improvement ;  and  the  soil 
is  intersected  with  numerous  running  springs  over  its 
surface.  But  it  was  impossible  to  look  on  this  lonely  spot 
without  recalling  to  mind  the  beautiful  lines  of  Cowper — 

"  O  Solitude,  where  are  the  charms 
That  sages  have  seen  in  thy  face  ?  " 

Yet  in  this  wild  place,  alarms  and  even  rebellion  had 
found  their  way,  the  Emperor  had  but  one  subject,  and 
this  Caliban  had  ventured,  in  direct  violation  of  an  imperial 
mandate,  to  kill  a  fowl  for  his  dinner. 

"  Rebellion,"  said  the  enraged  emperor,  "  is  the  son  of 
witchcraft,  and  I  am  determined  to  make  an  example  of  the 
offender." 

I  became  the  mediator  between  these  two  belligerents. 
I  represented  to  his  imperial  majesty,  that,  as  far  as  the 
matter  of  example  went,  the  severity  would  lose  its  effect  ; 
for  his  children  were  as  yet  too  young  to  be  corrupted  ; 
and,  moreover,  as  his  majesty  was  so  well  versed  in 
scripture,  he  must  know  that  it  was  his  duty  to  forgive. 
"  Besides,"  I  said,  "  her  majesty  the  queen  has  a  strong 
arm,  and  can  always  assist  in  repelling  or  chastising  any 
future  act  of  aggression  or  disobedience."  I  suspect  that 
the  moral  code  of  his  majesty  was  not  unlike  my  own  it 
yielded  to  the  necessities  of  the  time.     He  must  have  found 


The  Naval  Officer  289 

it  particularly  inconvenient  not  to  be  on  speaking  terms 
with  his  prime  minister  and  arch  chancellor,  whom  he  had 
banished  to  the  opposite  side  of  the  island  on  pain  of 
death.  The  sentence  was  originally  for  six  months  ;  but 
on  my  intercession  the  delinquent  was  pardoned  and  re- 
stored to  favour.  I  felt  much  self-complacency  when  I  re- 
flected on  this  successful  instance  of  my  mediatorial  power, 
which  had  perhaps  smothered  a  civil  war  in  its  birth. 

The  emperor  informed  me  that  an  American  whaler 
was  lying  at  the  east  side  of  the  island,  filling  with  the  oil 
of  the  walrus,  or  sea-horse  ;  that  she  had  been  there  at  an 
anchor  six  weeks,  and  was   nearly   full.     I   asked  to  be 

shown  the  spot  where  the was  wrecked  ;.  he  took  me 

to  her  sad  remains.  She  lay  broken  in  pieces  on  the 
rocks  ;  and,  not  far  from  her,  was  a  mound  of  earth,  on 
which  was  placed  a  painted  piece  of  board  by  way  of  a 
tombstone.  The  fate  of  the  vessel,  together  with  the 
number  of  sufferers,  were  marked  in  rude  but  concise 
characters.  I  do  not  exactly  remember  the  words,  but  in 
substance  it  stated,  that  underneath  lay  the  remains  of  one 
hundred  as  fine  fellows  as  ever  walked  on  a  plank,  and 
that  they  had  died,  like  British  seamen,  doing  their  duty  to 
the  last.  This  was  a  melancholy  sight,  especially  to  a 
sailor,  who  knew  not  how  soon  the  same  fate  awaited 
him. 

We  rafted  off  several  casks  of  water  during  that  day, 
and  on  the  following  we  completed  our  water,  and  then 
ran  to  the  east  end  of  the  island  to  anchor  near,  and  wait 
for  our  consort  the  whaler,  the  captain  of  which  had  come 
in  his  boat  to  visit  us  :  I  conversed  with  him,  and  was 
struck  with  one  remark  which  he  made. 

"  You  Englishmen  go  to  work  in  a  queerish  kind  of 
way,"  said  he  ;  "  you  send  a  parcel  of  soldiers  to  live  on 
an  island  where  none  but  sailors  can  be  of  use.  You 
listen  to  all  that  those  red  coats  tell  you ;  they  never 
thrive  when  placed  out  of  musket-shot  from  a  gin-shop  : 
and  because  they  don't  like  it,  you  evacuate  the  island. 
A  soldier  likes  his  own  comfort,  although  very  apt  to 

M  T 


290  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

destroy  that  of  other  folks ;  and  it  aVt  very  likely  he 
would  go  and  make  a  good  report  of  an  island  that  had 
neither  women  nor  rum,  and  where  he  was  no  better  than 
a  prisoner.  Now,  if  brother  Jonathan  had  taken  this 
island,  I  guess  he  would  a*  made  it  pay  for  its  keep ;  he 
would  have  had  two  or  three  crews  of  whalers,  with  their 
wives  and  families,  and  all  their  little  comforts  about  them, 
with  a  party  of  good  farmers  to  till  the  land,  and  an 
officer  to  command  the  whole.  The  island  can  provide 
itself,  as  you  may  perceive,  and  all  would  have  gone  on 
well.  It  is  just  as  easy  to  '  fish  '  the  island  from  the  shore 
as  it  is  in  vessel,  and  indeed  much  easier.  Only  land  your 
boilers  and  casks,  and  a  couple  of  dozen  of  good  whale- 
boats,  and  this  island  would  produce  a  revenue  that  would 
repay  with  profit  all  the  money  laid  out  upon  it,  for  the 
sea-horses  have  no  other  place  to  go  to,  either  to  shed 
their  coats  in  the  autumn,  or  bring  forth  their  young  in  the 
spring.  The  fishing  and  other  duties  would  be  a  source 
of  amusement  to  the  sailors,  who,  if  they  chose,  might 
return  home  occasionally  in  the  vessels  that  came  to  take 
away  the  full  casks  of  oil  and  land  the  empty  ones." 

The  captain  of  the  whaler  returned  to  his  ship,  but,  I 
suppose,  forgot  to  give  our  captain  very  particular  direc- 
tions about  the  anchorage.  We  ran  down  to  the  east  end 
of  the  island,  and  were  just  going  to  bring  up,  when, 
supposing  himself  too  near  the  whaler,  Peters  chose  to 
run  a  little  further.  I  should  have  observed,  that  as  we 
rounded  the  north-east  point,  the  breeze  freshed,  and  the 
squalls  came  heavy  out  of  the  gullies  and  deep  ravines. 
We  therefore  shortened  sail,  and,  passing  very  near  the 
whaler,  they  hailed  us ;  but  it  blew  so  fresh  that  we  did 
not  hear  what  they  said  ;  and,  having  increased  our  dis- 
tance from  the  whaler  to  what  was  judged  proper,  let  go 
the  anchor. 

Ninety  fathoms  of  cable  ran  out  in  a  crack,  before  she 
turned  head  to-wind ;  and,  to  our  mortification,  we  found 
we  had  passed  the  bank  upon  which  the  whaler  had 
brought  up,  and  must  have  dropped  our  anchor  into  a 


The  Naval  Officer  291 

well,  for  we  had  nineteen  fathoms  water  under  the  bows, 
and  only  seven  fathoms  under  the  stern.  The  moon 
showed  her  face,  just  at  this  moment,  and  we  had  the 
further  satisfaction  of  perceiving,  that  we  were  within 
fifty  yards  of  a  reef  of  rocks  which  lay  astern  of  us,  with 
their  dirty,  black  heads  above  water. 

We  were  very  much  surprised  to  find,  notwithstanding 
the  depth  of  water,  that,  during  the  lulls,  we  rode  with  a 
slack  cable  ;  but  about  two  o'clock  in  the  morning  the 
cable  parted,  being  cut  by  the  foul  ground.  All  sail  was 
made  immediately,  but  the  rocks  astern  were  so  close  to 
us,  that  you  might  have  thrown  a  biscuit  on  them,  and  we 
thought  the  cruise  of  the  True-blooded  Yankee  was  at  an 
end  ;  but  it  proved  otherwise,  for  the  same  cause  which 
produced  the  slack  cable  preserved  the  vessel.  The  fucus 
maximus  we  found  had  interposed  between  us  and  destruc- 
tion ;  we  had  let  go  our  anchor  in  this  sub-marine  forest, 
and  had  perched,  as  it  were,  on  the  tops  of  the  trees  ; 
and,  so  thick  were  the  leaves  and  branches,  that  they  held 
us  from  driving,  and  prevented  our  going  on  shore  when 
the  cable  had  parted.  We  dragged  slowly  through  the 
plants,  and  were  very  glad  to  see  ourselves  once  more 
clear  of  this  miserable  spot. 

"  Better  dwell  in  the  midst  of  alarms, 
Than  reign  in  this  horrible  place." 

But  I  sincerely  wish  all  manner  of  success  to  this  little 
empire,  though  I  hope  my  evil  stars  will  never  take  me  to 
it  again.  We  shaped  our  course  for  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope,  for  Captain  Peters  would  not  run  further  risk  in 
waiting  for  the  consort  privateer. 

Poor  Thompson,  notwithstanding  all  my  exertions  in 
his  favour,  was  exposed  to  much  ill-treatment  on  board 
the  vessel,  on  account  of  his  firm  and  unshaken  loyalty. 
He  seldom  complained  to  me,  but  sometimes  vindicated 
himself  by  a  gentle  hint  from  one  of  his  ample  fists  on  the 
nose  or  eye  of  the  offender,  and  here  the  matter  usually 
ended,  for  his  character  was  so  simple  and  inoffensive, 
that  all  the  best  men  in  the  vessel  loved  him.     One  night, 


292  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

a  man  fell  overboard — the  weather  was  fine,  and  the  brig 
had  but  little  way  ;  they  were  lowering  down  the  jolly- 
boat  from  the  stern,  when  one  of  the  hooks  by  which  she 
hung  by  the  stern,  broke,  and  four  men  were  precipitated 
with  violence  into  the  water.  Two  of  them  could  not 
swim,  and  all  screamed  loudly  for  help  as  soon  as  they 
came  up  from  their  dive.  Thompson,  seeing  this,  darted 
from  the  stern  like  a  Newfoundland  dog,  swam  to  the 
weakest,  supported  him  to  the  rudder  chains,  and,  leaving 
him,  went  to  another,  bringing  him  to  the  stern  of  the 
vessel,  and  making  a  rope  fast  under  his  arms.  In  this 
way  he  succeeded  in  saving  the  whole  of  these  poor 
fellows.  Two  of  the  five  would  certainly  have  sank 
but  for  his  timely  assistance,  for  they  were  some  time 
before  another  boat  could  be  got  ready ;  and  the  other 
three  owned  that  they  much  doubted  whether  they  could 
have  reached  the  vessel  without  help. 

This  conduct  of  Thompson  was  much  applauded  by  all 
on  board,  and  some  asked  him  why  he  ventured  his  life  for 
people  who  had  used  him  so  ill :  he  answered,  that  his  mither 
and  his  Bible  taught  him  to  do  all  the  good  he  could :  and 
as  God  had  given  him  a  strong  arm,  he  hoped  he  should 
always  use  it  for  the  benefit  of  his  brother  in  need. 

It  might  have  been  supposed  that  an  act  like  this  would 
have  prevented  the  recurrence  of  any  further  insult ;  but 
the  more  the  Americans  perceived  Thompson's  value,  the 
more  eager  were  they  to  have  him  as  their  own.  The 
second  mate,  whom  I  have  already  described  as  a  rough 
and  brutal  fellow,  one  day  proposed  to  him  to  belong  to 
their  vessel,  certain,  he  added,  that  he  would  make  his 
fortune  by  the  capture  of  two,  if  not  three,  extra  India- 
men,  which  they  had  information  of  on  their  passage. 

Thompson  looked  the  man  fully  in  the  face,  and  said, 
"  Did  ye  no  hear  what  I  telled  the  captain  the  ither  day  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  the  man,  "  I  knew  that,  but  that's  what 
we  call  in  our  country  *  all  my  eye.' " 

"  But  they  do  not  call  it  so  in  my  country,"  said  the 
Caledonian,  at  the  same  time  planting  his  fist  so  full  and 


The  Naval  Officer 


293 


plump  in  the  left  eye  of  the  mate,  that  he  fell  like  the 
" humi  bos"  covering  a  very  large  part  of  the  deck  with 
his  huge  carcase. 

The  man  got  up,  found  his  face  bleeding  plentifully, 
and  his  eye  closed ;  but  instead  of  resenting  the  insult 
himself,  went  off  and  complained  to  the  captain.  Many 
of  the  Americans,  either  from  hatred  or  jealousy,  went 
along  with  him,  and  clamorously  demanded  that  the 
Englishman  should  be  punished  for  striking  an  officer. 
When  the  story,  however,  came  to  be  fairly  explained, 
the  captain  said  he  was  bound  to  confess  that  the  second 
mate  was  the  aggressor,  inasmuch  as  he  had  acknowledged 
that  he  knew  the  penalty  of  the  transgression  before  he 
committed  the  act ;  that  he  (the  captain)  had  told 
Thompson,  when  he  made  the  declaration,  that  he  thought 
him  perfectly  right,  and,  consequently,  he  was  bound  to 
protect  him  by  every  law  of  hospitality  as  well  as  gratitude, 
after  his  services  in  saving  the  lives  of  their  countrymen. 

This  did  not  satisfy  the  crew  ;  they  were  clamorous 
for  punishment,  and  a  mutiny  was  actually  headed  by 
the  second  mate.  There  was,  however,  a  large  party  on 
board  who  were  in  no  humour  to  see  an  Englishman 
treated  with  such  indignity.  Of  what  country  they  were 
may  readily  be  conjectured.  The  dispute  ran  high ;  and 
I  began  to  think  that  serious  consequences  might  ensue, 
for  it  had  continued  from  the  serving  of  grog  at  twelve 
o'clock  till  near  two  ;  when  casting  my  eyes  over  the 
larboard  quarter,  I  perceived  a  sail,  and  told  the  captain 
of  it  ;  he  instantly  hailed  the  look-out-man  at  the  mast 
head  j  but  the  look-out-man  had  been  so  much  interested 
with  what  was  going  on  upon  deck,  that  he  had  come 
down  into  the  main  top  to  listen. 

"  Don't  you  see  that  sail  on  the  larboard  quarter  ?  " 
said  the  captain. 

"  Yes,  Sir,"  said  the  man. 

"  And  why  did  you  not  report  her  ?  " 

The  man  could  make  no  reply  to  this  question,  fc*  a 
very  obvious  reason. 


294  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

"  Come  down  here,"  said  the  captain ;  "let  him  be 
released,  Solomon ;  we  will  show  you  a  little  Yankee 
discipline." 

But  before  we  proceed  to  the  investigation  of  the  crime, 
or  the  infliction  of  punishment,  we  must  turn  our  eyes 
to  the  great  object  which  rose  clearer  and  clearer  every 
five  minutes  above  the  horizon.  The  privateer  was  at 
this  time  under  top  sails,  and  top-gallant-sails,  jib,  and 
fore-sail,  running  to  the  north-east,  with  a  fine  breeze 
and  smooth  water, 

"  Leftenant,"  said  the  captain,  "  what  do  you  think 
of  her?" 

"  I  think,"  said  I,  "  that  she  is  an  extra  Indiaman,  and 
if  you  mean  to  speak  her,  you  had  better  put  your  head 
towards  her  under  an  easy  sail ;  by  which  means  you  will 
be  so  near  by  sunset,  that  if  she  runs  from  you,  you  will 
be  able,  with  your  superior  sailing,  to  keep  sight  of  her 
all  night." 

"  I  guess  you  are  not  far  wrong  in  that,"  said  the 
captain. 

"  I  guess  he  is  directly  in  the  face  of  the  truth,"  said 
the  chief  mate,  who  had  just  returned  from  the  main  top, 
where  he  had  spent  the  last  quarter  of  an  hour  in  the 
most  intense  and  absorbed  attention  to  the  cut  of  the 
stranger's  sails.  "  If  e'er  I  saw  wood  and  canvas  put 
together  before  in  the  shape  of  a  ship,  that  there  is  one 
of  John  Bull's  bellowing  calves  of  the  ocean,  and  not  less 
than  a  forty-four  gunner." 

"  What  say  you  to  that,  leftenant  ?  "  said  the  captain. 

"  Oh,  as  to  that,"  said  the  mate,  "  it  isn't  very  likely 
that  he's  going  to  tell  us  the  truth." 

"Because  you  would  not  have  done  it  yourself  in  the 
same  situation,"  said  I. 

"  Just  so,"  said  the  mate. 

And  in  fact,  I  must  own  that  I  had  no  particular  wish 
to  cruise  for  some  months  in  this  vessel,  and  go  back  for 
water  at  Tristan  d'Acunha  I  therefore  did  not  use  my 
very  best  optical  skill  when  I  gave  my  opinion ;  but  as 


The  Naval  Officer  295 

I  saw  the  stranger  was  nearing  us  very  fast,  although 
we  were  steering  the  same  way,  I  made  my  mind  up 
that  I  shpuld  Very  soon  be  out  of  this  vessel,  and  on 
my  way  to  England,  where  all  my  happiness  and  prospects 
were  centred. 

The  chief  mate  took  one  more  look — the  captain  followed 
his  example ;  they  then  looked  at  each  other,  and  pro- 
nounced their  cruise  at  an  end. 

"We  are  done,  sir,"  said  the  mate;  "and  all  owing 
to  that  d — d  English  renegado  that  you  would  enter  on 
the  books  as  one  of  the  ship's  company.  But  let's  have 
him  aft,  and  give  him  his  discharge  regularly." 

"  First  of  all,"  said  the  captain,  "  suppose  we  try  what 
is  to  be  done  with  our  heels.  They  used  to  be  good, 
and  I  never  saw  the  brass-bottomed  sarpent  that  could 
come  anear  us  yet.  Send  the  royal  yards  up — clear  away 
the  studding-sails — keep  her  with  the  wind  just  two 
points  abaft  the  beam,  that's  her  favourite  position;  and 
I  think  we  may  give  the  slip  to  that  old-country  devil  in 
the  course  of  the  night." 

I  said  nothing,  but  looked  very  attentively  to  all  that 
was  doing.  The  vessel  was  well  manned,  certainly,  and 
all  sail  was  set  upon  her  in  a  very  expeditious  manner. 

"  Heave  the  log,"  said  the  captain. 

They  did  so;  and  she  was  going,  by  their  measure- 
ment, nine  and  six. 

"What  do  you  think  your  ship  is  doing?"  said  the 
captain  to  me. 

"  I  think,"  said  I,  "  she  is  going  about  eleven  knots  ; 
and,  as  she  is  six  miles  astern  of  you,  that  she  will  be 
within  gunshot  in  less  than  four  hours." 

"  Part  of  that  time  shall  be  spent  in  paying  our  debts 
for  this  favour,"  said  the  captain.  "  Mr  Solomon,  let 
them  seize  that  no-nation  rascal  up  to  the  main  rigging, 
and  hand  up  two  of  your  most  hungry  cats.  Where  is 
Dick  Twist,  he  that  was  boatswain's  mate  of  the  Statira; 
and  that  red-haired  fellow,  you  know,  that  swam  away 
from  the  Maidstone  in  the  Rappahanoch.  f  " 


296  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

"  You  mean  carroty  Sam,  I  guess — pass  the  word  for 
Sam  Gall." 

The  two  operators  soon  appeared,  each  armed  with  the 
instruments  of  his  office ;  and  I  must  say  that,  in  malignity 
of  construction,  they  were    equal   to  any  thing  used  on 

similar   occasions   even  by  Captain   G .     The  culprit 

was  now  brought  forward,  and  to  my  surprise  it  was 
the  very  man  whom  Thompson,  when  in  the  boat,  had 
thrown  overboard  for  mutiny.  I  cannot  say  that  I  felt 
sorry  for  the  cause  or  the  effect  that  was  likely  to  be 
produced  by  the  disputes -of  the  day. 

"  Seize  him  up,"  said  the  captain  ;  "  you  were  sent 
to  the  mast-head  in  your  regular  turn  of  duty ;  and  you 
have  neglected  that  duty,  by  which  means  we  are  likely 
to  be  taken :  so,  before  my  authority  ceases,  I  will  show 
you  a  Yankee  trick." 

"  I  am  an  Englishman,"  said  the  man,  "  and  appeal  to 
my  officer  for  protection." 

The  captain  looked  at  me. 

"  If  I  am  the  officer  you  appeal  to,"  said  I,  "  I  do  not 
acknowledge  you ;  you  threw  off  your  allegiance  when 
you  thought  it  suited  your  purpose,  and  you  now  wish  to 
resume  it  to  screen  yourself  from  a  punishment  which 
you  richly  deserve.  I  shall  certainly  not  interfere  in 
your  favour. 

"I  was  born,"  roared  the  cockney,  "in  Earl  Street, 
Seven  Dials — my  mother  keeps  a  tripe-shop — I  am  a  true 
born  Briton,  and  you  have  no  right  to  flog  me." 

"  You  was  a  Yankee  sailor  from  New  London  yesterday, 
and  you  are  a  tripe-seller,  from  Old  London  to-day.  I 
think  I  am  right  in  calling  you  a  no-nation  rascal,  but  we 
will  talk  about  the  right  another  time,"  said  the  captain ; 
"meanwhile,  Dick  Twist,  do  you  begin." 

Twist  obeyed  his  orders  with  skill  and  accuracy  ;  and 
having  given  the  prisoner  three  dozen,  that  would  not 
have  disgraced  the  leger-de-main  of  my  friend  the  Farnese 
Hercules  in  the  brig,  Sam  Gall  was  desired  to  take  his 
turn.     Sam    acquitted   himself  a    merveille  with   the    like 


The  Naval  Officer  297 

number;  and  the  prisoner,  after  a  due  proportion  of 
bellowing,  was  cast  loose.  I  could  not  help  reflecting 
how  very  justly  this  captain  had  got  his  vessel  into 
jeopardy  by  first  allowing  a  man  to  be  seduced  from  his 
allegiance,  and  then  placing  confidence  in  him. 

"  Let  us  now  take  a  look  at  the  chase,"  said  the  captain  ; 
"  zounds,  she  draws  up  with  us.  I  can  see  her  bowsprit- 
cap  when  she  lifts ;  and  half  an  hour  ago  I  only  saw  her 
fore-yard.  Cut  away  the  jolly-boat  from  the  stern, 
Solomon. " 

The  chief  mate  took  a  small  axe,  and,  with  a  steady 
blow  at  the  end  of  each  davit,  divided  the  falls,  and  the 
boat  fell  into  the  sea. 

"  Throw  these  here  two  aftermost  guns  overboard," 
said  the  captain  ;  "  I  guess  we  are  too  deep  abaft,  and 
they  would  not  be  of  much  use  to  us  in  the  way  of 
defence,  for  this  is  a  wapper  that's  after  us." 

The  guns  in  a  few  minutes  were  sent  to  their  last  rest ; 
and  for  the  next  half-hour  the  enemy  gained  less  upon 
them.  It  was  now  about  half-past  three  p.m.  ;  the  courage 
of  the  Yankees  revived ;  and  the  second  mate  reminded 
the  captain  that  his  black  eye  had  not  been  reckoned  for 
at  the  main  rigging. 

"  Nor  shall  it  be,"  said  the  captain,  "while  I  command 
the  True-blooded  Yankee ;  what  is,  is  right ;  no  man  shall 
be  punished  for  fair  defence  after  warning.  Thompson, 
come  and  stand  aft." 

The  man  was  in  the  act  of  obeying  this  order,  when  he 
was  seized  on  by  some  six  or  eight  of  the  most  turbulent, 
who  began  to  tear  off  his  jacket. 

"  Avast  there,  shipmates  !  "  said  Twist  and  Gall,  both 
in  a  breath.  "  We  don't  mind  touching  up  such  a  chap  as 
this  here  tripeman;  but  not  the  scratch  of  a  pin  does 
Thompson  get  in  this  vessel.  He  is  one  of  us  ;  he  is  a 
seamen  every  inch  of  him,  and  you  must  flog  us,  and  some 

fifty  more,  if  once  you  begin ;  for  d n  my  eyes  if  we 

don't  heave  the  log  with  the  second  mate,  and  then  lay-to 
till  the  frigate  comes  along  side." 


298  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

The  mutineers  stood  aghast  for  a  few  seconds  ;  but  the 
second  mate,  jumping  on  a  gun,  called  out, 

"  Who's  of  our  side  ?  Are  we  going  to  be  bullied  by 
these  d d  Britishers  ?  " 

"  You  are,"  said  I,  "  if  doing  an  act  of  justice  is  bully- 
ing. You  are  in  great  danger,  and  I  warn  you  of  it.  I 
perceive  the  force  of  those  whom  you  pretend  to  call 
Americans  ;  and  though  I  am  the  last  man  in  the  world  to 
sanction  an  act  of  treachery  by  heaving  the  ship  to,  yet  I 
caution  you  to  beware  how  you  provoke  the  bull-dog,  who 
has  only  broke  his  master's  chain  '  for  a  lark,'  and  is  ready 
to  return  to  him.  I  am  your  guest,  and  therefore  your 
faithful  friend ;  use  your  utmost  endeavours  to  escape 
from  your  enemy.  I  know  what  she  is,  for  I  know  her 
well ;  and,  if  I  am  not  much  mistaken,  you  have  scarcely 
more  time,  with  all  your  exertions,  than  to  pack  up  your 
things ;  for  be  assured,  you  will  not  pass  twelve  hours 
more  under  your  own  flag." 

This  address  had  a  tranquillising  effect.  The  captain, 
Captain  Green,  and  Solomon,  walked  aft ;  and,  to  their 
great  dismay,  saw  distinctly  the  water  line  of  the  pursuing 
frigate. 

"What  can  be  done?"  said  the  captain;  "she  has 
gained  on  us  in  this  manner,  while  the  people  were  all  aft 
settling  that  infernal  dispute.  Throw  two  more  of  the 
after  guns  overboard." 

This  order  was  obeyed  with  the  same  celerity  as  the 
former,  but  not  with  the  same  success.  The  captain  now 
began  to  perceive,  what  was  pretty  obvious  to  me  before, 
namely,  that  by  dropping  the  boat  from  the  extreme  end 
of  the  vessel,  where  it  hung  like  the  pea  on  the  steelyard, 
he  did  good ;  the  lightening  her  also  of  the  two  aftermost 
guns,  hanging  over  the  dead  wood  of  the  vessel,  were  in 
like  manner  serviceable.  But  here  he  should  have  stopped; 
the  effect  of  throwing  the  next  two  guns  overboard  was 
pernicious.  The  vessel  fell  by  the  head;  her  stern  was 
out  of  the  water ;  she  steered  wild,  yawed,  and  decreased 
in  her  rate  of  sailing  in  a  surprising  manner. 


The  Naval  Officer  299 

"  Cut  away  the  bower  anchors,"  said  the  captain. 

The  stoppers  were  cut,  and  the  anchors  dropped ;  the 
brig  immediately  recovered  herself  from  her  oppression,  as 
it  were,  and  resumed  her  former  velocity ;  but  the  enemy 
had  by  this  time  made  fearful  approaches.  The  only  hope 
of  the  captain  and  his  crew  was  in  the  darkness ;  and  as 
this  darkness  came  on,  my  spirits  decreased,  for  I  greatly 
feared  that  we  should  have  escaped.  The  sun  had  sunk 
some  time  below  the  horizon  ;  the  cloud  of  sail  coming  up 
a-stern  of  us  began  to  be  indistinct,  and  at  last  disappeared 
altogether  in  a  black  squall :  we  saw  no  more  of  her  for 
nearly  two  hours. 

I  walked  the  deck  with  Green  and  the  captain.  The 
latter  seemed  in  great  perturbation ;  he  had  hoped  to 
make  his  fortune,  and  retire  from  the  toils  and  cares  of  a 
sea-life  in  some  snug  corner  of  the  Western  settlements, 
where  he  might  cultivate  a  little  farm,  and  lead  the 
life  of  an  honest  man  ;  "  for  this  life,"  said  he,  "I  am 
free  to  confess,  is,  after  all,  little  better  than  highway 
robbery." 

Whether  the  moral  essay  of  the  captain  was  the  effect 
of  his  present  danger,  I  will  not  pretend  to  say.  I  only 
know,  that  if  the  reader  will  turn  back  to  some  parts  of 
my  history,  he  will  find  me  very  often  in  a  similar  mood, 
on  similar  occasions. 

The  two  captains  and  the  chief  mate  now  retired,  after 
leaving  me  meditating  by  myself  over  the  larboard  gun- 
wale, just  before  the  main  rigging.  The  consultation 
seemed  to  be  of  great  moment  ;  and,  as  I  afterwards 
learned,  was  to  decide  what  course  they  should  steer, 
seeing  that  they  evidently  lost  sight  of  their  pursuer.  I 
felt  all  my  hopes  of  release  vanish  as  I  looked  at  them, 
and  had  made  up  my  mind  to  go  to  New  York. 

At  this  moment,  a  man  came  behind  me,  as  if  to  get  a 
pull  at  the  top-gallant  sheets  ;  and  while  he  hung  down 
upon  it  with  a  kind  of  "  yeo-ho,"  he  whispered  in  my  ear 
— "  You  may  have  the  command  of  the  brig  if  you  like. 
We  are  fifty  Englishmen — we  will  heave  her  to  and  hoist 


300  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

a  light,  if  you  will  only  say  the  word,  and  promise  us  our 
free  pardon." 

I  pretended  at  first  not  to  hear,  but,  turning  round,  I 
saw  Mr  Twist. 

"  Hold,  villain  !  "  said  I ;  "do  you  think  to  redeem  one 
act  of  treachery  by  another  ?  and  do  you  dare  to  insult 
the  honour  of  a  naval  officer  with  a  proposal  so  infamous  ? 
Go  to  your  station  instantly,  and  think  yourself  fortunate 
that  I  do  not  denounce  you  to  the  captain,  who  has  a 
perfect  right  to  throw  you  overboard — a  fate  which  your 
chain  of  crimes  fully  deserves." 

The  man  skulked  away,  and  I  went  off  to  the  captain, 
to  whom  I  related  the  circumstance,  desiring  him  to  be  on 
his  guard  against  treachery. 

"  Your  conduct,  Sir,"  said  the  captain,  "  is  what  I 
should  have  expected  from  a  British  naval  officer;  and 
since  you  have  behaved  so  honourably,  I  will  freely  tell 
you  that  my  intention  is  to  shorten  sail  to  the  topsails  and 
foresail,  and  haul  dead  on  a  wind  into  that  dark  squall  to 
the  southward." 

"  As  you  please,"  said  I  ;  "you  cannot  expect  that  I 
should  advise,  nor  would  you  believe  me  if  I  said  I  wished 
you  success ;  but  rely  on  it  I  will  resist,  by  every  means 
in  my  power,  any  unfair  means  to  dispossess  you  of  your 
command." 

"I  thank  you,  Sir,"  said  the  captain,  mournfully;  and, 
without  losing  any  more  time  in  useless  words,  "  Shorten 
sail  there,"  continued  he,  with  a  low  but  firm  voice ; 
"  take  in  the  lower  and  topmost  studding-sail — hands 
aloft — in  top-gallant  studding-sails,  and  roll  up  the  top- 
gallant sails." 

All  this  appeared  to  be  done  with  surprising  speed, 
even  to  me  who  had  been  accustomed  to  very  well 
conducted  ships  of  war.  One  mistake,  however,  was 
made ;  the  lower  studding-sail,  instead  of  being  hauled 
in  on  deck,  was  let  to  fall  overboard,  and  towed  some 
time  under  the  larboard  bow  before  it  was  reported 
to  the  officers. 


The  Naval  Officer  301 

"Haul  in  the  larboard  braces — brace  sharp  up — port 
the  helm,  and  bring  her  to  the  wind,  quarter-master." 

"  Port,  it  is,  Sir,"  said  the  man  at  the  helm,  and  the 
vessel  was  close  hauled  upon  the  starboard  tack ;  but 
she  did  not  seem  to  move  very  fast,  although  she  had 
a  square  mainsail,  boom  mainsail,  and  jib. 

"  I  think  we  have  done  them  at  last,"  said  the  captain ; 
"  what  do  you  think,  lef tenant  ? "  giving  me  a  hearty 
but  very  friendly  slap  on  the  back.  "Come,  what  say 
you ;  shall  we  take  a  cool  bottle  of  London  particular 
after  the  fatigues  of  the  day  ?  " 

"  Wait  a  little,"  said  I,  "  wait  a  little." 

"  What  are  you  looking  at  there  to  windward  ? "  said 
the  captain,  who  perceived  that  my  eye  was  fixed  on 
a  particular  point. 

Before  I  had  time  to  answer,  Thompson  came  up 
to  me  and  said,  "  there  is  the  ship,  Sir,"  pointing  to 
the  very  spot  on  which  I  was  gazing.  The  captain  heard 
this ;  and,  as  fear  is  ever  quick-sighted,  he  instantly 
caught  the  object. 

"  Running  is  of  no  use  now,"  said  he ;  "  we  have 
tried  her  off  the  wind,  our  best  going  ;  she  beats  us 
at  that ;  and  on  a  wind,*  I  don't  think  so  much  of  her ; 
but  still,  with  this  smooth  water  and  fine  breeze,  she 
ought  to  move  better.  Solomon,  there  is  something 
wrong,  give  a  look  all  round." 

Solomon  went  forward  on  the  starboard  side,  but  saw 
nothing.  As  he  looked  over  the  gangway  and  bow, 
coming  round  on  the  lee  side  of  the  forecastle,  he  saw 
some  canvas  hanging  on  one  of  the  night-heads — "What 
have  we  here  ? "  said  he.  No  one  answered.  He  looked 
over  the  fore  chains,  and  found  the  whole  lower  studding- 
sail  towing  in  the  water. 

"  No  wonder  she  don't  move,"  said  the  mate ;  "  here 
is  enough  to  stop  the  Constitution  herself.  Who  took 
in  this  here  lower  studding-sail  ? — But,  never  mind,  we'll 
settle  that  to-morrow.   Come  over  here,you  forecastle  men." 

Some  of  the  Americans  came  over  to  him,  but  not  with 


302  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

very  great  alacrity.  The  sail  could  not  be  pulled  in,  as 
the  vessel  had  too  much  way ;  and  while  they  were 
ineffectually  employed  about  it,  the  flash  of  a  gun  was 
seen  to  windward  ;  and  as  the  report  reached  our  ears, 
the  shot  whistled  over  our  heads,  and  darted  like  lightning 
through  the  boom  mainsail. 

"  Hurra  for  old  England,"  said  Thompson ;  "  the  fellow 
that  fired  that  shot  shall  drink  my  allowance  of  grog 
to-morrow." 

"  Hold  your  tongue,  you  d d  English  rascal,"  said 

the  second  mate,  "  or  I'll  stop  your  grog  for  ever." 

"I  don't  think  you  will,"  said  the  North  Briton,  "and 
if  you  take  a  friend's  advice,  you  won't  try."  Thompson 
was  standing  on  the  little  round-house  or  poop ;  the 
indignant  mate  jumped  up,  and  collared  him.  Thompson 
disengaged  him  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye,  and  with  one 
blow  of  his  right  hand  in  the  pit  of  the  man's  stomach, 
sent  him  reeling  over  to  leeward.  He  fell — caught  at 
the  boom-sheet — missed  it,  and  tumbled  into  the  sea, 
from  whence  he  rose  no  more. 

All  was  now  confusion.  "  A  man  overboard  !  " — another 
shot  from  the  frigate — another  and  another  in  quick  suc- 
cession. The  fate  of  the  man  was  forgotten  in  the  general 
panic.  One  shot  cut  the  aftermost  main-shroud ;  another 
went  through  the  boat  on  the  booms.  The  frigate  was 
evidently  very  near  us.  The  men  all  rushed  down  to  seize 
their  bags  and  chests ;  the  captain  took  me  by  the  hand, 
and  said  "  Sir,  I  surrender  myself  to  you,  and  give  you 
leave  now  to  act  as  you  think  proper." 

"  Thompson,"  said  I,  "  let  go  the  main-sheet,  and  the 
main-brace."  Running  forward  myself,  I  let  go  the  main- 
tack,  and  bowlines  ;  the  main-yard  came  square  of  itself. 
Thompson  got  a  lantern,  which  he  held  up  on  the  starboard 
quarter. 

The  frigate  passed  close  under  the  stern,  shewing  a 
beautiful  pale  side,  with  a  fine  tier  of  guns ;  and,  hailing 
us,  desired  to  know  what  vessel  it  was. 

I  replied,  that  it  was  the  True-blooded  Yankee  of  Boston 
- — that  she  had  hove-to  and  surrendered. 


The  Naval  Officer 


Chapter  XXI 


303 


"  It  is  not,"  says  Blake,  "  the  business  of  a  seaman  to  mind  state  affairs, 
but  to  hinder  foreigners  from  fooling  us." — Dr  Johnson's  Life  of  Blake, 

The  frigate  came  to  the  wind  close  under  our  lee,  and  a 
boat  from  her  was  alongside  in  a  very  few  minutes.  The 
officer  who  came  to  take  possession,  leaped  up  the  side,  and 
was  on  the  deck  in  a  moment.  I  received  him,  told  him  in 
few  words  what  the  vessel  was,  introducing  the  captain  and 
Green,  both  of  whom  I  recommended  to  his  particular 
notice  and  attention  for  the  kindness  they  had  shown  to  me, 
I  then  requested  he  would  walk  down  into  the  cabin,  leav- 
ing a  midshipman  whom  he  brought  with  him  in  charge  of 
the  deck,  and  who,  in  the  meanwhile,  he  directed  to  haul 
the  mainsail  up,  and  make  the  vessel  snug.  The  prisoners 
were  desired  to  pack  up  their  things,  and  be  ready  to  quit 
in  one  hour. 

When  lights  were  brought  in  the  cabin,  the  lieutenant  and 
myself  instantly  recognised  each  other. 

"  Bless  my  soul,  Frank,"  said  he,  "  what  brought  you 
here?" 

"That,"  said  I,  "is  rather  a  longer  story  than  could  be 
conveniently  told  before  to-morrow ;  but  may  I  ask  what 

ship  has  taken  the  Yankee  ?     I  conclude  it  is  the  R ; 

and  what  rank  does  friend  Talbot  hold  in  her  ?  " 

"  The  frigate,"  said  he,  "  is  the  R ,  as  you  conjec- 
tured. We  are  on  the  Cape  station.  I  am  first  of  her,  and 
sent  out  here  on  promotion  for  the  affair  of  Basque  Roads." 

"  Hard,  indeed,"  said  I,  "  that  you  should  have  waited 
so  long  for  what  you  so  nobly  earned ;  but  come,  we  have 
much  to  do.  Let  us  look  to  the  prisoners,  and  if  you  will 
return  on  board,  taking  with  you  the  captain,  mate,  and  a 
few  of  the  hands,  whom  I  will  select,  as  the  most  trouble- 
some, and  the  most  careless,  I  will  do  all  I  can  to  have  the 
prize  ready  for  making  sail  by  day-light,  when,  if  Captain 
T will  give  me  leave,  I  will  wait  on  him." 


304  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

This  was  agreed  to.  The  people  whom  I  pointed  out, 
were  put  into  the  boat,  four  of  whose  crew  came  aboard 
the  brig  to  assist  me.  We  soon  arranged  every  thing, 
so  as  to  be  ready  for  whatever  might  be  required.  A 
boat  returned  with  a  fresh  supply  of  hands,  taking  back 
about  twenty  more  prisoners  j  and  the  midshipman,  who 
brought  them,  delivered  also  a  civil  message  from  the 
captain,  to  say,  he  was  glad  to  have  the  prize  in  such 
good  hands,  and  would  expect  me  to  breakfast  with  him 
at  eight  o'clock ;  in  the  meantime,  he  desired,  that  as 
soon  as  I  was  ready  to  make  sail,  I  should  signify  the  same 
by  showing  two  lights  at  the  same  height  in  the  main 
rigging,  and  that  we  should  then  keep  on  a  wind  to  the 
northward  under  a  plain  sail. 

This  was  completed  by  four  a.m.,  when  we  made  the 
signal,  and  kept  on  the  weather  quarter  of  the  frigate. 
I  took  a  couple  of  hours'  sleep,  was  called  at  six,  dressed 
myself,  and  prepared  to  go  on  board  at  half  past  seven. 
I  heard  her  drum  and  fife  beat  to  quarters,  the  sweetest 
music  next  to  the  heavenly  voice  of  Emily,  I  had  ever 
heard.  The  tears  rolled  down  my  cheeks  with  gratitude 
to  God,  for  once  more  placing  me  under  the  protection 
of  my  beloved  flag.  The  frigate  hove-to ;  soon  after, 
the  gig  was  lowered  down,  and  came  to  fetch  me ;  a 
clean  white  cloak  was  spread  in  the  stern  sheets :  the 
men  were  dressed  in  white  frocks  and  trousers,  as  clean 
as  hands  could  make  them,  with  neat  straw  hats,  and 
canvas  shoes.  I  was  seated  in  the  boat  without  delay, 
and  my  heart  beat  with  rapture  when  the  boatswain's 
mate  at  the  gangway  piped  the  side  for  me. 

I  was  received  by  the  captain  and  officers  with  all  the 
kindness  and  affection  which  we  lavish  on  each  other  on 
such  occasions.  The  captain  asked  me  a  thousand  ques- 
tions, and  the  lieutenants  and  midshipmen  all  crowded 
round  me  to  hear  my  answers.  The  snip's  company  were 
also  curious  to  know  our  history,  and  I  requested  the 
captain  would  send  the  gig  back  for  Thompson,  who 
would  assist  me  in  gratifying  the  general  curiosity.     This 


The  Naval  Officer  305 

was  done,  and  the  brave,  honest  fellow  came  on  board. 
The  first  question  he  asked  was,  "  Who  fired  the  first 
shot  at  the  prize  ?  " 

"It  was  Mr  Spears,  the  first  lieutenant  of  marines," 
said  one  of  the  men. 

"Then  Mr  Spears  must  have  my  allowance  of  grog  for 
the  day,"  said  Thompson ;  "for  I  said  it  last  night,  and 
I  never  go  from  my  word." 

"  That  I  am  ready  to  swear  to,"  said  Captain  Peters,  of 
the  privateer:  "I  have  known  men  of  good  resolutions, 
and  you  are  one  of  them  ;  and  I  have  known  men  of  bad 
resolutions,  and  he  was  one  of  them  whom  you  sent  last 
night  to  his  long  account ;  and  it  was  fortunate  for  you 
that  you  did  -y  for  as  sure  as  you  now  stand  here,  that 
man  would  have  compassed  your  death,  either  by  dagger, 
by  water,  or  by  poison.  I  never  knew  or  heard  of  the 
man  who  had  struck  or  injured  Peleg  Oswald  with 
impunity.  He  was  a  Kentucky  man,  of  the  Ohio,  where 
he  had  '  squatted,'  as  we  say ;  but  he  shot  two  men  with 
his  rifle,  because  they  had  declined  exchanging  some 
land  with  him.  He  had  gouged  the  eye  out  of  a  third, 
for  some  trifling  difference  of  opinion.  These  acts  obliged 
him  to  quit  the  country ;  for,  not  only  were  the  officers 
of  justice  in  pursuit  of  him,  but  the  man  who  had  lost 
one  eye  kept  a  sharp  look  out  with  the  other,  and  Peleg 
would  certainly  have  had  a  rifle  ball  in  his  ear  if  he  had 
not  fled  eastward,  and  taken  again  to  the  sea,  to  which 
he  was  originally  brought  up.  I  did  not  know  all  his 
history  till  long  after  he  and  I  became  shipmates.  He 
would  have  been  tried  for  his  life ;  but  having  made 
some  prize. money,  he  contrived  to  buy  off  his  prosecutors. 
I  should  have  unshipped  him  next  cruise,  if  it  had  pleased 
God  I  had  got  safe  back." 

While  Peters  was  giving  this  little  history  of  his 
departed  mate,  the  captain's  breakfast  was  announced,  and 
the  two  American  captains  were  invited  to  partake  of  it. 
As  we  went  down  the  ladder  under  the  half-deck,  Peters 
and  Green  could  not  help  casting  an  eye  of  admiration  at 

M  U 


306  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

the  clean  and  clear  deck,  the  style  of  the  guns,  and  perfect 
union  of  the  useful  and  ornamental,  so  inimitably  blended 
as  they  are  sometimes  found  in  our  ships  of  war.  There 
was  nothing  in  the  captain's  repast  beyond  cleanliness, 
plenty,  hearty  welcome,  and  cheerfulness. 

The  conversation  turned  on  the  nature,  quality,  and 
number  of  men  in  the  privateer.  "  They  are  all  seamen," 
said  Peters,  "  except  the  ten  black  fellows." 

"  Some  of  them,  I  suspect,  are  English,"  said  I. 

"  It  is  not  for  me  to  peach,"  said  the  wary  American. 
"  It  is  difficult  always  to  know  whether  a  man  who  has 
been  much  in  both  countries  is  a  native  of  Boston  in 
Lincolnshire,  or  Boston  in  Massachusetts  ;  and  perhaps 
they  don't  always  know  themselves.  We  never  ask  ques- 
tions when  a  seaman  ships  for  us." 

"  You  have  an  abundance  of  our  seamen,  both  in  your 
marine  and  merchant  service,"  said  our  captain. 

"  Yes,"  said  Green  ;  "  and  we  are  never  likely  to  want 
them,  while  you  impress  for  us." 

"  We  impress  for  you  ?  "  said  Captain  T ,  "  how  do 

you  prove  that  ?  " 

"  Your  impressment,"  said  the  American,  "  fills  our 
ships.  Your  seamen  will  not  stand  it  ;  and  for  every  two 
men  you  take  by  force,  rely  on  it,  we  get  one  of  them  as  a 
volunteer." 

Peters  dissented  violently  from  this  proposition,  and 
appeared  angry  with  Green  for  making  the  assertion. 

"  I  see  no  reason  to  doubt  it,"  said  Green  ;  "I  know 
how  our  fighting  ships,  as  well  as  our  traders,  are  manned. 
I  will  take  my  oath  that  more  than  two-thirds  have  run 
from  the  British  navy,  because  they  were  impressed.  You 
yourself  have  said  so  in  my  hearing,  Peters — look  at  your 
crew." 

Peters  could  stand  conviction  no  longer ;  he  burst  into 
the  most  violent  rage  with  Green  ;  said  that  what  ought 
never  to  have  been  owned  to  a  British  officer,  he  had  let 
out ;  that  it  was  true  that  America  looked  upon  our  system 
of  impressment  as  the  sheet-anchor  of  her  navy  ;  but  he 


The  Naval  Officer  307 

was  sorry  the  important  secret  should  ever  have  escaped 
from  an  American. 

"  For  my  part,"  resumed  Green,  "  I  feel  so  deeply  in- 
debted to  this  gallant  young  Englishman  for  his  kindness 
to  me,  that  I  am  for  ever  the  friend  of  himself  and  his 
country,  and  have  sworn  never  to  carry  arms  against 
Great  Britain,  unless  to  repel  an  invasion  of  my  own 
country." 

Breakfast  ended,  we  all  went  on  deck  ;  the  ship  and  her 
prize  were  lying  to  ;  the  hands  were  turned  up  ;  all  the 
boats  hoisted  out ;  the  prisoners  and  their  luggage  taken 
out  of  the  prize,  and,  as  the  crew  of  the  privateer  came  on 
board,  they  were  all  drawn  up  on  the  quarter-deck,  and 
many  of  them  known  and  proved  to  be  Englishmen.  When 
taxed  and  reproached  for  their  infamous  conduct,  they  said 
it  was  owing  to  them  that  the  privateer  had  been  taken, 
for  that  they  had  left  the  lower  studding-sail  purposely 
hanging  over  the  night-head,  and  towing  in  the  water,  by 
which  the  way  of  the  vessel  had  been  impeded. 

Captain  Peters,  who  heard  this  confession,  was  aston- 
ished ;  and  the  captain  of  the  frigate  observed  to  him, 
that  such  conduct  was  exactly  that  which  might  be  ex- 
pected from  any  traitor  to  his  country.  Then,  turning  to 
the  prisoners,  he  said,  "  the  infamy  of  your  first  crime 
could  scarcely  have  been  increased ;  but  your  treachery  to 
the  new  government,  under  which  you  had  placed  your- 
selves, renders  you  unworthy  of  the  name  of  men  ;  nor 
have  you  even  the  miserable  merit  you  claim  of  having 
contributed  to  the  capture,  since  we  never  lost  sight  of  the 
chase  from  the  first  moment  we  saw  her,  and  from  the 
instant  she  hauled  her  wind,  we  knew  she  was  ours." 

The  men  hung  down  their  heads,  and  when  dismissed 
to  go  below,  none  of  the  crew  of  the  frigate  would  receive 
them  into  their  messes ;  but  the  real  Americans  were 
kindly  treated. 

We  shaped  our  course  for  Simon's  Bay,  where  we 
arrived  in  one  week  after  the  capture. 

The  admiral  on  the  station  refused  to  try  the  prisoners 


308  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

by  a  court-martial ;  he  said  it  was  rather  a  state  question, 
and  should  send  them  all  to  England,  where  the  lords 
of  the  admiralty  might  dispose  of  them  as  they  thought 
proper. 

The  True-blooded  Tanhee  was  libelled  in  the  vice 
admiralty  court  at  Cape  Town,  condemned  as  a  lawful 
prize,  and  purchased  into  the  service ;  and,  being  a  very 
fine  vessel  of  her  class,  the  admiral  was  pleased  to  say, 
that  as  I  had  been  so  singularly  unfortunate,  he  would 
give  me  the  command  of  her  as  a  lieutenant,  and  send 
me  to  England  with  some  despatches,  which  had  been 
waiting  an  opportunity. 

This  was  an  arrangement  far  more  advantageous  to 
me  than  I  could  have  expected ;  but  what  rendered  it 
still  more  agreeable  was,  that  my  friend  Talbot,  who 
was  the  first  to  shake  me  by  the  hand  on  board  the  prize, 
begged  a  passage  home  with  me,  he  having,  by  the  last 
packet,  received  his  commander's  commission.  The 
admiral,  at  my  request,  also  gave  Captains  Peters  and 
Green  permission  to  go  home  with  me.  Mungo,  the 
black  man,  and  Thompson,  the  quarter-master,  with  the 
midshipman  who  had  been  with  me  in  the  boat,  were 
also  of  the  party.  My  crew  was  none  of  the  very  best, 
as  might  be  supposed  ;  but  I  was  not  in  a  state  to  make 
difficulties ;  and,  with  half-a-dozen  of  the  new  Negroes, 
taken  out  of  the  trader,  I  made  up  such  a  ship's  company 
as  I  thought  would  enable  me  to  run  to  Spithead. 

"We  laid  in  a  good  stock  of  provisions  at  the  Cape.  The 
Americans  begged  to  be  allowed  to  pay  their  part ;  but 
this  I  positively  refused,  declaring  myself  too  happy  in 
having  them  as  my  guests.  I  purchased  all  Captain 
Peters's  wine  and  stock,  giving  him  the  full  value  for 
it.  Mungo  was  appointed  steward,,  for  I  had  taken 
a  great  fancy  to  him  ;  and  my  friend  Talbot  having 
brought  all  his  things  on  board,  and  the  admiral  having 
given  my  final  orders,  I  sailed  from  Simon's  Bay  for 
England. 

There  is  usually  but  little  of  incident  in  a  run  home 


The  Naval  Officer  309 

of  this  sort.  I  was  not  directed  to  stop  at  St  Helena, 
and  had  no  inclination  to  loiter  on  my  way.  I  carried 
sail  night  and  day  to  the  very  utmost.  Talbot  and  my- 
self became  inseparable  friends,  and  our  cabin  mess  was 
one  of  perfect  harmony.  We  avoided  all  national  re- 
flections, and  abstained  as  much  as  possible  from  politics. 
I  made  a  confidant  of  Talbot  in  my  love  affair  with 
Emily.  Of  poor  Eugenia,  I  had  long  before  told  him 
a  great  deal. 

One  day  at  dinner  we  happened  to  talk  of  swimming. 
"  I  think,"  said  Talbot,  "  that  my  friend  Frank  is  as 
good  a  hand  at  that  as  any  of  us.  Do  you  remember 
when  you  swam  away  from  the  frigate  at  S pithead,  to 
pay  a  visit  to  your  friend,  Mrs  Melpomene,  at  Point  ? " 

"  I  do,"  said  I,  "  and  also  how  generously  you  showered 
the  musket-balls  about  my  ears  for  the  same." 

"  Your  escape  from  either  drowning  or  shooting  on 
that  occasion,  among  many  others,"  said  the  commander, 
"  makes  me  augur  something  more  serious  of  your  future 
destiny." 

"That  may  be,"  said  I;  "but  I  dispute  the  legality  of 
your  act,  in  trying  to  kill  me  before  you  knew  who  I 
was,  or  what  I  was  about.  I  might  have  been  mad,  for 
what  you  knew;  or  I  might  have  belonged  to  some 
other  ship ;  but,  in  any  event,  had  you  killed  me,  and 
had  my  body  been  found,  a  coroner's  inquest  would  have 
gone  very  hard  with  you,  and  a  jury  still  worse." 

"  I  should  have  laughed  at  them,"  said  Talbot. 

"  You  might  have  found  it  no  laughing  matter,"  said  I. 

"  How  ? "  replied  Talbot,  "  what  are  sentinels  placed 
for,  and  loaded  with  ball  ?  " 

"To  defend  the  ship,"  said  I;  "to  give  warning  of 
approaching  danger  ;  to  prevent  men  going  out  of  the  ship 
without  leave ;  but  never  to  take  away  the  life  of  a  man 
unless  in  defence  of  their  own,  or  when  the  safety  of  the 
king's  ship  demands  it." 

"  I  deny  your  conclusion,"  said  Talbot ;  "  the  articles 
of  war  denounce  death  to  all  deserters." 


310  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

"  True,"  said  I,  "  they  do,  and  also  to  many  other 
crimes;  but  those  crimes  must  first  of  all  be  proved  before 
a  court-martial.  Now  you  cannot  prove  that  I  was  desert- 
ing, and  if  you  could,  you  had  not  the  power  to  inflict 
death  on  me  unless  I  was  going  towards  the  enemy.  I 
own  I  was  disobeying  your  orders,  but  even  that  would 
not  have  subjected  me  to  more  than  a  slight  punishment, 
while  your  arbitrary  act  would  have  deprived  the  king,  as 
I  flatter  myself,  of  a  loyal,  and  not  a  useless  subject ;  and 
if  my  body  had  not  been  found,  no  good  could  have 
accrued  to  the  service  from  the  severity  of  example.  On 
the  contrary,  many  would  have  supposed  I  had  escaped, 
and  been  encouraged  to  make  the  same  attempt." 

"  I  am  very  sorry  now,"  said  Talbot,  "  that  I  did  not 
lower  down  a  boat  to  send  after  you ;  however,  it  has 
been  a  comfort  to  me  since  to  reflect  that  the  marines 
missed  you." 

This  ended  the  subject :  we  walked  the  deck  a  little, 
talked  of  sweethearts,  shaped  the  course  for  the  night  to 
make  Fayal,  which  we  were  not  far  from,  and  then  re- 
turned to  our  beds. 

Falling  into  a  sound  sleep,  it  was  natural  that  the  con- 
versation of  the  evening  should  have  dwelt  on  my  mind, 
and  a  strange  mixture  of  disjointed  thoughts,  a  compound 
of  reason  and  insanity,  haunted  me  till  the  morning. 
Trinidad  and  Emily,  the  Nine-Pin  Rock,  and  the  mysterious 
Eugenia,  with  her  supposed  son  ;  the  sinking  wreck,  and 
the  broken  schooner,  all  appeared  separately  or  together. 

"  When  nature  rests, 
Oft,  in  her  absence,  mimic  fancy  wakes." 

I  thought  I  saw  Emily  standing  on  the  pinnacle  of  the 
Nine-Pin  Rock,  just  as  Lord  Nelson  is  represented  on  the 
monument  in  Dublin,  or  Bonaparte  in  that  of  the  Place 
Vendome  ;  but  with  a  grace  as  far  superior  to  either,  as 
the  Nine-Pin  Rock  is  in  majesty  and  natural  grandeur  to 
those  works  of  human  art. 

Emily,  I  thought,  was  clad  in  complete  mourning,  but 
looking  radiant  in  health  and  loveliness,  although  with  a 


The  Naval  Officer  311 

melancholy  countenance.  The  dear  image  of  my  mistress 
seemed  to  say,  "  I  shall  never  come  down  from  this 
pinnacle  without  your  assistance."  "  Then,"  thinks  I, 
"  you  will  never  come  down  at  all."  Then  I  thought 
Eugenia  was  queen  of  Trinidad,  and  that  it  was  she  who 
had  placed  Emily  out  of  my  reach  on  the  rock ;  and  I  was 
entreating  her  to  let  Emily  come  down,  when  Thompson 
tapped  at  my  cabin  door,  and  told  me  that  it  was  daylight, 
and  that  they  could  see  the  island  of  Fayal  in  the  north- 
east, distant  about  seven  leagues. 

I  dressed  myself,  and  went  on  deck,  saw  the  land,  and 
a  strange  sail  steering  to  the  westward.  The  confounded 
dream  still  running  in  my  head — like  Adam,  I  "  liked  it 
not,"  and  yet  I  thought  myself  a  fool  for  not  dismissing 
such  idle  stuff;  still  it  would  not  go  away.  The 
Americans  came  on  deck  soon  after ;  and  seeing  the  ship 
steering  to  the  westward,  asked  if  I  meant  to  speak  her. 
I  replied  in  the  affirmative.  We  had  then  as  much  sail  as 
we  could  carry  •,  and  as  she  had  no  wish  to  avoid  us,  but 
kept  on  her  course,  we  were  soon  alongside  of  her.  She 
proved  to  be  a  cartel,  bound  to  New  York  with  American 
prisoners. 

In  case  of  meeting  with  any  vessel  bound  to  the  United 
States,  the  admiral  had  given  me  permission  to  send  my 
prisoners  home  without  carrying  them  to  England.  I  had 
not  mentioned  this  either  to  Peters  or  Green,  for  fear  of 
producing  disappointment ;  but  when  I  found  I  could 
dispose  of  them  so  comfortably,  I  acquainted  them  with 
my  intention.  Their  joy  and  gratitude  were  beyond  all 
description ;  they  thanked  me  a  thousand  times,  as  they 
did  my  friend  Talbot  for  our  kindness  to  them. 

"  Leftenant,"  said  Peters,  "  I  am  not  much  accustomed 
to  the  company  of  you  Englishmen  ;  and  if  I  have  always 
thought  you  a  set  of  tyrants  and  bullies,  it  arn't  my  fault. 
I  believed  what  I  was  told ;  but  now  I  have  seen  for  my- 
self, and  I  find  the  devil  is  never  so  black  as  he  is  painted." 
I  bowed  to  the  Yankee  compliment.  "  Howsoever,"  he 
continued,  "  I  should  like   to  have  a  sprinkling  of  shot 


312  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

between  us  on  fair  terms.  Do  you  bring  this  here  brig 
to  our  waters ;  I  hope  to  get  another  just  like  her,  and  as 

I  know  you  are  a  d d  good  fellow,  and  would  as  soon 

have  a  dust  as  sit  down  to  dinner,  I  should  like  to  try  to 
get  the  command  of  the  True-blooded  Tankee  again." 

"  If  you  man  your  next  brig,  as  you  manned  the  last, 
with  all  your  best  hands  Englishmen,"  said  I,  "  I  fear  I 
should  find  it  no  easy  matter  to  defend  myself." 

"  That's  as  it  may  be,"  said  the  captain  ;  "no  man  fights 
better  than  he  with  a  halter  round  his  neck  :  and  remember 
what  neighbour  Green  has  said,  for  he  has  *  let  the  cat  out 
of  the  bag  : '  we  should  have  no  Englishmen  in  our  service, 
if  they  had  not  been  pressed  into  yours." 

I  could  make  no  return  to  this  salute,  because,  like  the 
gunner  at  Landguard  Fort,  I  had  no  powder,  and,  in  fact, 
I  felt  the  rebuke. 

Green  stood  by,  but  never  opened  his  lips  until  the 
captain  had  finished ;  then  holding  out  his  hand  to  me, 
with  his  eyes  full  of  tears,  and  his  voice  almost  choked, 
"  Farewell,  my  excellent  friend,"  said  he  ;  "  I  shall  never 
forget  you ;  you  found  me  a  villain,  and,  by  the  blessing 
of  God,  you  have  made  me  an  honest  man.  Never,  never, 
shall  I  forget  the  day  when,  at  the  risk  of  your  own  life, 
you  came  to  save  one  so  unworthy  of  your  protection  ;  but 
God  bless  you  !  and  if  ever  the  fortune  of  war  should  send 
you  a  prisoner  to  my  country,  here  is  my  address — what  is 
mine  is  yours,  and  so  you  shall  find." 

The  man  who  had  mutinied  in  the  boat,  and  afterwards 
entered  on  board  the  privateer,  who  was  sent  home  with 
me  to  take  his  trial,  held  out  his  hand  to  Captain  Green, 
as  he  passed  him,  to  wish  him  good-by,  but  he  turned 
away,  saying,  "  A  traitor  to  his  country  is  a  traitor  to  his 
God.  I  forgive  you  for  the  injury  you  intended  to  do  me, 
and  the  more  so,  as  I  feel  I  brought  it  on  myself ;  but  I 
cannot  degrade  myself  by  offering  you  the  hand  of  fellow- 
ship." 

So  saying,  he  followed  Captain  Peters  into  the  boat.  I 
accompanied  them  to  the  cartel,  where,  having   satisfied 


The  Naval  Officer  313 

myself  that  they  had  every  comfort,  I  left  them.  Green 
was  so  overcome  that  he  could  not  speak,  and  poor  Mungo 
could  only  say,  "  Good-by,  massa  leptenant,  me  tinkee 
you  berry  good  man." 

I  returned  to  my  own  vessel,  and  made  sail  for  England  : 
once  more  we  greeted  the  white  cliffs  of  Albion,  so  dear 
to  every  true  English  bosom.  No  one  but  he  who  has 
been  an  exile  from  its  beloved  shores  can  fully  appreciate 
the  thrill  of  joy  on  such  an  occasion.  "We  ran  through  the 
Needles,  and  I  anchored  at  Spithead,  after  an  absence  of 
fourteen  months.  I  waited  on  the  admiral,  showed  him 
my  orders,  and  reported  the  prisoners,  whom  he  desired 
me  to  discharge  into  the  flag  ship ;  "  and  now,"  said  he, 
"after  your  extraordinary  escape,  I  will  give  you  leave  to 
run  up  to  town  and  see  your  family,  to  whom  you  are  no 
doubt  an  object  of  great  interest." 

Here  a  short  digression  is  necessary. 


Chapter  XXII 

Such  was  my  brother  too, 
So  went  he  suited  to  his  watery  tomb : 
If  spirits  can  assume  both  form  and  suit, 
You  come  to  fright  us. 

Twelfth  Night. 

Soon  after  the  frigate  which  had  taken  me  off  from  New 
Providence  had  parted  company  with  the  American  prize 
that  I  was  sent  on  board  of,  the  crew  of  the  former, 
it  appeared,  had  been  boasting  among  the  American 
prisoners  of  the  prize-money  they  should  receive. 

"Not  you,"  said  the  Yankees;  "you  will  never  see 
your  prize  any  more,  nor  any  one  that  went  in  her." 

These  words  were  repeated  to  the  captain  of  the  frigate, 
when  he  questioned  the  mate  and  the  crew,  and  the  whole 
nefarious  transaction  came  out.  They  said  the  ship  was 
sinking  when  they  left  her,  and  that  was  the  reason  they 
had   hurried   into  the  boat.     The  mate  said  it  was  im^ 


314  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

possible  to  get  at  the  leaks,  which  were  in  the  fore  peak, 
and  under  the  cabin  deck  in  the  run  •,  that  he  wondered 
Captain  Green  had  not  made  it  known,  but  he  supposed 
he  must  have  been  drunk  :  "  the  ship,"  continued  the 
mate,  "  must  have  gone  down  in  twelve  hours  after  we 
left  her." 

This  was  reported  to  the  Admiralty  by  my  captain,  and 
my  poor  father  was  formally  acquainted  with  the  fatal 
story.  Five  months  had  elapsed  since  I  was  last  heard  of, 
and  all  hopes  of  my  safety  had  vanished :  this  was  the 
reason  that  when  I  knocked  at  the  door,  I  found  the 
servant  in  mourning :  he  was  one  who  had  been  hired  since 
my  departure,  and  did  not  know  me.  Of  course  he  ex- 
pressed no  surprise  at  seeing  me. 

"  Good  Heavens  !  "  said  I,  "  who  is  dead  ?  " 
"  My  master's  only  son,  Sir,"  said  the  man,  "Mr  Frank, 
drowned  at  sea." 

"  Oh  !  is  that  all  ? "  said  I,  "lam  glad  it's  no  worse." 
The  man  concluded  that  I  was  an  unfeeling  brute,  and 
stared  stupidly  at  me  as  I  brushed  by  him  and  ran  up  stairs 
to  the  drawing-room.  I  ought  to  have  been  more 
guarded  ;  but,  as  usual,  I  followed  the  impulse  of  my 
feelings.  I  opened  the  door,  when  I  saw  my  sister  sitting 
at  a  table  in  deep  mourning,  with  another  young  lady 
whose  back  was  turned  towards  me.  My  sister  screamed 
as  soon  as  she  saw  me.  The  other  lady  turned  round, 
and  I  beheld  my  Emily,  my  dear,  dear  Emily :  she  too 
was  in  deep  mourning.  My  sister,  after  screaming,  fell  on 
the  floor  in  a  swoon.  Emily  instantly  followed  her 
example,  and  there  they  both  lay,  like  two  petrified  queens 
in  Westminster  Abbey.  It  was  a  beautiful  sight,  "pretty, 
though  a  plague." 

I  was  confoundedly  frightened  myself,  and  thought  I 
had  done  a  very  foolish  thing  ;  but  as  I  had  no  time  to 
lose,  I  rang  the  bell  furiously,  and  seeing  some  jars  with 
fresh  flowers  in  them,  I  caught  them  up  and  poured 
plentiful  libations  over  the  faces  and  necks  of  the  young 
ladies ;  but    Emily   came  in  for  much  the  largest  share, 


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3*5 


which  proves  that  I  had  neither  lost  my  presence  of  mind 
nor  my  love  for  her. 

My  sister's  maid,  Higgins,  was  the  first  to  answer  the 
drawing-room  bell,  which,  from  its  violent  ringing, 
announced  some  serious  event.  She  came  bouncing  into 
the  room  like  a  recouchee  shot.  She  was  an  old  acquaint- 
ance of  mine ;  I  had  often  kissed  her  when  a  boy,  and  she 
had  just  as  often  boxed  my  ears.  I  used  to  give  her  a 
ribbon  to  tie  up  her  jaw  with,  telling  her  at  the  same  time 
that  she  had  too  much  of  it.  This  Abigail,  like  a  true 
lady's  maid,  seeing  me,  whom  she  thought  a  ghost,  stand- 
ing bolt  upright,  and  the  two  ladies  stretched  out,  as  she 
supposed,  dead,  gave  a  loud  and  most  interesting  scream, 
ran  out  of  the  room  for  her  life,  nearly  knocking  down  the 
footman,  whom  she  met  coming  in. 

This  fellow,  who  was  a  country  lout,  the  son  of  one 
of  my  father's  tenants,  only  popped  his  head  into  the  door, 
and  saw  the  ladies  lying  on  the  carpet ;  he  had  probably 
formed  no  very  good  opinion  of  me  from  the  manner  in 
which  I  had  received  the  news  of  my  own  demise,  and 
seemed  very  much  inclined  to  act  the  part  of  a  mandarin, 
that  is,  nod  his  head  and  stand  still, 

"  Desire  some  of  the  women  to  come  here  immediately," 
said  I ;  "  some  one  that  can  be  of  use ;  tell  them  to  bring 
salts,  eau  de  cologue,  any  thing.  Fly,  blockhead,  goose, 
what  do  you  stand  staring  at  ?  " 

The  fellow  looked  at  me,  and  then  at  the  supposed 
corpses,  which  he  must  have  thought  I  had  murdered  ; 
and,  either  thunderstruck,  or  doubting  whether  he  had 
any  right  to  obey  me,  kept  his  head  inside  the  door  and 
his  body  outside,  as  if  he  had  been  in  the  pillory.  I  saw 
that  he  required  some  explanation,  and  cried  out,  "  I  am 
Mr  Frank  ;  will  you  obey  me,  or  shall  I  throw  this  jar  at 
your  head  ?  "  brandishing  one  of  the  china  vases. 

Had  I  been  inclined  to  have  thrown  it,  I  should  have 
missed  him,  for  the  fellow  was  off  like  a  wounded 
porpoise.  Down  he  ran  to  my  father  in  the  library ; 
"  Oh,  Sir — good  news — bad  news — good  news — " 


316  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

"What  news,  fool?"  said  my  father,  rising  hastily 
from  his  chair, 

"  Oh,  Sir,  I  don't  know,  Sir ;  but  I  believe,  Sir,  Mr 
Frank  is  alive  again,  and  both  the  ladies  is  dead." 

My  poor  father,  whose  health  and  constitution  had  not 
recovered  the  shock  of  my  supposed  death,  tremblingly 
leaned  over  his  table,  on  which  he  rested  his  two  hands, 
and  desired  the  man  to  repeat  what  he  had  said.  This 
the  fellow  did,  half  crying,  and  my  father,  easily  compre- 
hending the  state  of  things,  came  upstairs.  I  would  have 
flown  into  his  arms,  but  mine  were  occupied  in  supporting 
my  sweet  Emily,  while  my  poor  sister  lay  senseless  on 
the  other  side  of  me ;  for  Clara's  lover  was  not  at  hand, 
and  she  still  lay  in  abeyance. 

By  this  time  "  the  hands  were  turned  up,"  every 
body  was  on  the  alert,  and  every  living  creature  in 
the  house,  not  excepting  the  dog,  had  assembled  in 
the  drawing  -  room.  The  maids  that  had  known  me 
cried  and  sobbed  most  piteously,  and  the  new  comer 
kept  them  company  from  sympathy.  The  coachman,  and 
footman,  and  groom,  all  blubbered  and  stared  \  and  one 
brought  water,  and  one  a  basin,  and  the  looby  of  a 
footman  something  else,  which  I  must  not  name  ;  but  in 
his  hurry  he  had  snatched  up  the  first  utensil  that  he 
thought  might  be  of  use ;  I  approved  of  his  zeal,  but 
nodded  to  him  to  retire.  Unluckily  for  him,  the  house- 
maid perceived  the  mistake  which  his  absence  of  thought 
had  led  him  into ;  and,  snatching  the  mysterious  vessel 
with  her  left  hand,  she  hid  it  under  her  apron,  while  with 
her  right  she  gave  the  poor  fellow  such  a  slap  on  the 
cheek,  as  to  bring  to  my  mind  the  tail  of  the  whale  de- 
scending on  the  boat  at  Bermuda.  "  You  great  fool," 
said  she,  "  nobody  wants  that." 

"  There  is  matrimony  in  that  slap,"  said  I ;  and  the 
event  proved  I  was  right — they  were  ashed  in  church  the 
Sunday  following. 

The  industrious  application  of  salts,  cold  water,  and 
burnt  rags,  together  with  chafing  of  temples,  opening  of 


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3*7 


collars,  and  loosening  the  stay-laces  of  the  young  ladies, 
produced  the  happiest  effects.  Every  hand,  and  every 
tongue  was  in  motion ;  and  with  all  these  remedies,  the 
eyes  of  the  enchanting  Emily  opened,  and  beamed  upon 
me,  spreading  joy  and  gladness  over  the  face  of  creation, 
like  the  sun  rising  out  of  the  bosom  of  the  Atlantic,  to 
cheer  the  inhabitants  of  the  Antilles  after  a  frightful 
hurricane.  In  half  an  hour,  all  was  right  ;  "  the  guns 
were  secured — we  beat  the  retreat  ; "  the  servants  retired. 
I  became  the  centre  of  the  picture.  Emily  held  my  right, 
my  father  my  left  ;  dear  Clara  hung  round  my  neck. 
Questions  were  put  and  answered  as  fast  as  sobs  and 
tears  would  admit  of  their  being  heard.  The  interlude 
was  filled  up  with  the  sweetest  kisses  from  the  rosiest 
of  lips ;  and  I  was  in  this  half  hour  rewarded  for  all  I 
had  suffered  since  I  had  sailed  from  England  in  the 
diabolical  brig  for  Barbadoes. 

It  was,  I  own,  exceedingly  wrong  to  have  taken  the 
house,  as  it  were,  by  storm,  when  I  knew  they  were  in 
mourning  for  me  ;  but  I  forgot  that  other  people  did  not 
require  the  same  stimulus  as  myself.  I  begged  pardon  ; 
was  kissed  again  and  again,  and  forgiven.  Oh,  it  was  worth 
while  to  offend  to  be  forgiven  by  such  lips,  and  eyes,  and 
dimples.  But  I  am  afraid  this  thought  is  borrowed  from 
some  prose  or  poetry  ;  if  so,  the  reader  must  forgive  me, 
and  so  must  the  author,  who  may  have  it  again,  now  I 
have  done  with  it,  for  I  shall  never  use  it  any  more. 

My  narrative  was  given  with  as  much  modesty  and 
brevity  as  time  and  circumstances  would  admit.  The 
coachman  was  despatched  on  one  of  the  best  carriage- 
horses  express  to  Mr  Somerville,  and  the  mail  coach  was 
loaded  with  letters  to  all  the  friends  and  connections  of  the 
family. 

This  ended,  each  retired  to  dress  for  dinner.  What 
a  change  had  one  hour  wrought  in  this  house  of  mourning, 
now  suddenly  turned  into  a  house  of  joy  !  Alas  !  how 
often  is  the  picture  reversed  in  human  life!  The  ladies 
soon  reappeared  in  spotless  white  ;  emblems  of  their  pure 


3 1 8  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

minds.  My  father  had  put  off  his  sables,  and  the  servants 
came  in  their  usual  liveries,  which  were  very  splendid. 

Dinner  being  announced,  my  father  handed  off  Emily  ; 
I  followed  with  my  sister.  Emily,  looking  over  her 
shoulder,  said,  "Don't  be  jealous,  Frank." 

My  father  laughed,  and  I  vowed  revenge  for  this  little 
satirical  hit. 

"  You  know  the  forfeit,"  said  I,  "  and  you  shall  pay 
it." 

"  I  am  happy  to  say  that  I  am  both  able  and  willing," 
said  she,  and  we  sat  down  to  dinner,  but  not  before  my 
father  had  given  thanks  in  a  manner  more  than  usually 
solemn  and  emphatic.  This  essential  act  of  devotion,  so 
often  neglected,  brought  tears  into  the  eyes  of  all.  Emily 
sank  into  her  chair,  covered  her  face  with  her  pocket- 
handkerchief,  and  relieved  herself  with  tears.  Clara  did 
the  same.  My  father  shook  me  by  the  hand,  and  said, 
"  Frank,  this  is  a  very  different  kind  of  repast  to  what  we 
had  yesterday.  How  little  did  we  know  of  the  happiness 
that  was  in  store  for  us  !  " 

The  young  ladies  dried  their  eyes,  but  had  lost  their 
appetites  5  in  vain  did  Emily  endeavour  to  manage  the 
tail  of  a  small  smelt.  I  filled  a  glass  of  wine  to  each. 
"  Come,"  said  I,  "in  sea  phrase,  spirits  are  always  more 
easily  stowed  away  than  dry  provisions  ;  let  us  drink  each 
other's  health,  and  then  we  shall  get  on  better." 

They  took  my  advice,  and  it  answered  the  purpose. 
Our  repast  was  cheerful,  but  tempered  and  corrected  by 
a  feeling  of  past  sorrow,  and  a  deep  sense  of  great  mercies 
from  Heaven. 

"  If  Heaven  were  every  day  like  this, 
Then  'twere  indeed  a  Heaven  of  bliss." 

Reader,  I  know  you  have  long  thought  me  a  vain  man — 
a  profligate,  unprincipled  Don  Juan,  ready  to  pray  when 
in  danger,  and  to  sin  when  out  of  it  :  but  as  I  have  always 
told  you  the  truth,  even  when  my  honour  and  character 
were  at  stake,  I  expect  you  will  believe  me  now,  when 
I  say  a  word  in  my  own  favour.     That  I  felt  gratitude  to 


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3*9 


God  for  my  deliverance  and  safe  return,  I  do  most  solemnly 
aver ;  my  heart  was  ready  to  burst  with  the  escape  of  this 
feeling,  which  I  suppressed  from  a  false  sense  of  shame, 
though  I  never  was  given  much  to  the  melting  mood  ; 
moreover,  I  was  too  proud  to  show  what  I  thought  a 
weakness,  before  the  great  he-fellows  of  footmen.  Had 
we  been  in  private,  I  could  have  fallen  down  on  my  knees 
before  that  God  whom  I  had  so  often  offended  ;  who  had 
rescued  me  twice  from  the  jaws  of  the  shark ;  who  had 
lifted  me  from  the  depth  of  the  sea  when  darkness  covered 
me  ;  who  had  saved  me  from  the  poison  and  the  wreck, 
and  guided  me  clear  of  the  rock  at  Trinidad ;  and  who 
had  sent  the  dog  to  save  me  from  a  horrible  death. 

These  were  only  a  small  part  of  the  mercies  I  had 
received  ;  but  they  were  the  most  recent,  and  consequently 
had  left  the  deepest  impression  on  my  memory.  I  would 
have  given  one  of  Emily's  approving  smiles,  much  as  I 
valued  them,  to  have  been  relieved  from  my  oppressed 
feelings  by  a  hearty  flood  of  tears,  and  by  a  solemn  act  of 
devotion  and  thanksgiving  ;  but  I  felt  all  this,  and  that 
feeling,  I  hope,  was  accounted  to  me  for  righteousness. 
For  the  first  time  in  my  life,  the  love  of  God  was  mixed 
up  with  a  pure  and  earthly  love  for  Emily,  and  affection 
for  my  family. 

The  ladies  sat  with  us  some  time  after  the  cloth  was 
removed,  unable  to  drag  themselves  away,  while  I  related 
my  "  hair-breadth  escapes."  "When  I  spoke  of  the  incident 
of  trying  to  save  the  poor  man  who  fell  overboard  from  the 
brig — of  my  holding  him  by  the  collar,  and  being  dragged 
down  with  him  until  the  sea  became  dark  over  my  head — 
Emily  could  bear  it  no  longer  ;  she  jumped  up,  and  falling 
on  her  knees,  hid  her  lovely  face  in  my  sister's  lap, 
passionately  exclaiming,  "  Oh,  do  not,  do  not,  my  dear 
Frank,  tell  me  any  more — I  cannot  bear  it — indeed,  I 
cannot  bear  it." 

We  all  gathered  round  her,  and  supported  her  to  the 
drawing-room,  where  we  diverted  ourselves  with  lighter 
and  gayer  anecdotes.     Emily  tried  a  tune  on  the  pianoforte, 


320  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

and  attempted  a  song  ;  but  it  would  not  do  :  she  could  not 
sing  a  gay  one,  and  a  melancholy  one  overpowered  her. 
At  twelve  o'clock,  we  all  retired  to  our  apartments,  and 
before  I  slept  I  spent  some  minutes  in  devotion,  with  vows 
of  amendment  which  I  fully  intended  to  keep. 

The  next  morning,  Mr  Somerville  joined  us  at  break- 
fast. This  was  another  trial  of  feeling  for  poor  Emily, 
who  threw  herself  into  her  father's  arms,  and  sobbed 
aloud.  Mr  Somerville  shook  me  most  cordially  by  the 
hand  with  both  of  his,  and  eagerly  demanded  the  history 
of  my  extraordinary  adventures,  of  which  I  gave  him  a 
small  abridgment.  I  had  taken  the  opportunity  of  an 
hour's  tete  a  tete  with  Emily,  which  Clara  had  considerately 
given  us  before  breakfast,  to  speak  of  our  anticipated 
union ;  and  finding  there  were  no  other  obstacles  than 
those  which  are  usually  raised  by  "  maiden  pride  and 
bashful'  coyness,"  so  natural,  so  becoming,  and  so  lovely 
in  the  sex,  I  determined  to  speak  to  the  grey-beards  on 
the  subject. 

To  this  Emily  at  last  consented,  on  my  reminding  her 
of  my  late  narrow  escapes.  As  soon,  therefore,  as  the 
ladies  had  retired  from  the  dinner  table,  I  asked  my  father 
to  fill  a  bumper  to  their  health ;  and,  having  swallowed 
mine  in  all  the  fervency  of  the  most  unbounded  love,  I 
popped  the  question  to  them  both.  Mr  Somerville  and 
my  father  looked  at  each  other,  when  the  former 
said — 

"  You  seem  to  be  in  a  great  hurry,  Frank." 

"  Not  greater,  Sir,"  said  I,  "  than  the  object  deserves." 
He  bowed,  and  my  father  began — 

"  I  cannot  say,"  observed  the  good  old  gentleman,  "  that 
I  much  approve  of  matrimony  before  you  are  a  commander. 
At  least,  till  then,  you  are  not  your  own  master." 

"  Oh,  if  I  am  to  wait  for  that,  Sir,"  said  I,  "  I  may  wait 
long  enough  j  no  man  is  ever  his  own  master  in  our  ser- 
vice, or  in  England.  The  captain  is  commanded  by  the 
admiral,  the  admiral  by  the  Admiralty,  the  Admiralty  by 
the  Privy  Council,  the  Privy  Council  by  the  Parliament, 


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321 


the  Parliament  by  the  people,  and  the  people  by  printers 
and  their  devils." 

"  I  admire  your  logical  chain  of  causes  and  effects,"  said 
my  father  ;  "  but  we  must,  after  all,  go  to  the  lace  manu- 
factory at  Charing-cross,  to  see  if  we  cannot  have  your 
shoulders  fitted  with  a  pair  of  epaulettes.  When  we  can 
see  you  command  your  own  sloop  of  war,  I  shall  be  most 
happy,  as  I  am  sure  my  good  friend  Somerville  will  be 
also,  to  see  you  command  his  daughter,  the  finest  and  the 
best  girl  in  the  county  of " 

No  arguments  could  induce  the  two  old  gentlemen  to 
bate  one  inch  from  these  sine  qua  non.  It  was  agreed  that 
application  should  be  made  to  the  Admiralty  forthwith  for 
my  promotion  ;  and  when  that  desirable  step  was  obtained, 
that  then  Emily  should  have  the  disposal  of  me  for  the 
honeymoon. 

All  this  was  a  very  pretty  story  for  them  on  the  score  of 
prudence,  but  it  did  not  suit  the  views  of  an  ardent  lover 
of  one-and-twenty ;  for  though  I  knew  my  father's  influ- 
ence was  very  great  at  the  Admiralty,  I  also  knew  that 
an  excellent  regulation  had  recently  been  promulgated, 
which  prevented  any  lieutenant  being  promoted  to  the 
rank  of  commander  until  he  had  served  two  years  at  sea 
from  the  date  of  his  first  commission  ;  nor  could  any  com- 
mander, in  like  manner,  be  promoted  before  he  had  served 
one  year  in  that  capacity.  All  this  was  no  doubt  very 
good  for  the  service,  but  I  had  not  yet  attained  sufficient 
amor  patr'uz  to  prefer  the  public  to  myself;  and  I  fairly 
wished  the  regulation,  and  the  makers  of  it,  in  the  cavern 
at  New  Providence,  just  about  the  time  of  high  water. 

I  put  it  to  the  ladies  whether  this  was  not  a  case  of  real 
distress,  after  all  my  hardships  and  my  constancy,  to  be 
put  off  with  such  an  excuse  ?  The  answer  from  the 
Admiralty  was  so  far  favourable,  that  I  was  assured  I 
should  be  promoted  as  soon  as  my  time  was  served,  of 
which  I  then  wanted  two  months.  I  was  appointed  to  a 
ship  fitting  at  Woolwich,  and  before  she  could  be  ready 
for  sea,  my  time  would  be  completed,  and  I  was  to  have 
m  x 


322  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

my  commission  as  a  commander.  This  was  not  the  way  to 
ensure  her  speedy  equipment,  as  far  as  I  was  concerned ; 
but  there  was  no  help  for  it ;  and  as  the  ship  was  at 
Woolwich,  and  the  residence  of  my  fair  one  at  no  great 
distance,  I  endeavoured  to  pass  my  time,  during  the  inter- 
val, between  the  duties  of  love  and  war ;  between  obedi- 
ence to  my  captain,  and  obedience  to  my  mistress  ;  and 
by  great  good  fortune,  I  contrived  to  please  both,  for  my 
captain  gave  himself  no  trouble  about  the  ship  or  her 
equipment. 

Before  I  proceeded,  to  join,  I  made  one  more  effort  to 
break  through  the  inflexibility  of  my  father,  I  said  I  had 
undergone  the  labours  of  Hercules  ;  .and  that  if  I  went  again 
on  foreign  service,  I  might  meet  with  some  young  lady  who 
would  send  me  out  of  the  world -with  a  cup  of  poison,  or  by 
some  fatal  spell  break  the  magical  chain  which  now  bound 
me  to  Emily.  This  poetical  imagery  had  no  more  effect  on 
them,  than  my  prose  composition.  I  then  appealed  to  Emily 
herself.  "  Surely,"  said  I,  "  your  heart  is  not  as  hard  as 
those  of  our  inflexible  parents  ?  surely  you  will  be  my 
advocate  on  this  occasion  ?  Bend  but  one  look  of  disappro- 
bation on  my  father  with  those  heavenly  blue  eyes  of  yours, 
and,  on  my  life,  he  will  strike  his  flag." 

But  the  gipsy  replied,  with  a  smile  (instigated,  no 
doubt,  from  head-quarters),  that  she  did  not  like  the  idea  of 
her  name  appearing  in  the  Morning  Best  as  the  bride  of 
a  lieutenant.  "  What's  a  lieutenant,  now-a-days  ?  "  said  she; 
"  nobody.  I  remember  when  I  was  on  a  visit  at  Fareham, 
I  used  to  go  to  Portsmouth  to  see  the  dock-yard  and  the 
ships,  and  there  was  your  great  friend  the  tall  admiral,  Sir 
Hurricane  Humbug,  I  think  you  call  him,  driving  the  poor 
lieutenants  about  like  so  many  sheep  before  a  dog ;  there 
was  one  always  at  his  heels,  like  a  running  footman ;  and 
there  was  another  that  appeared  to  me  to  be  chained,  like 
a  mastiff,  to  the  door  of  the  admiral's  office,  except  when 
the  admiral  and  family  walked  out,  and  then  he  brought 
up  the  rear  with  the  governess.  No,  Frank,  I  shall  not 
surrender  at  discretion,  with  all  my  charms,  to  any  thing 
less  than  a  captain,  with  a  pair  of  gold  epaulettes." 


The  Naval  Officer  323 

"  Very  well,"  replied  I,  looking  into  the  pier  glass,  with 
tolerable  self-complacency ;  "if  you  choose  to  pin  your 
happiness  on  the  promises  of  a  first  lord  of  the  Admiralty, 
and  a  pair  of  epaulettes,  I  can  say  no  more.  There  is  no 
accounting  for  female  taste ;  some  ladies  prefer  gold  lace 
and  wrinkles,  to  youth  and  beauty — I  am  sorry  for  them, 
that's  all." 

"  Frank,"  said  Emily,  "  you  must  acknowledge  that  you 
are  vain  enough  to  be  an  admiral  at  least." 

"  The  admirals  are  much  obliged  to  you  for  the  compli- 
ment," said  I.  "  I  trust  I  should  not  disgrace  the  flag, 
come  when  it  will ;  but  to  tell  you  the  truth,  my  dear 
Emily,  I  cannot  say  I  look  forward  to  that  elevation,  with 
any  degree  of  satisfaction.  Three  stars  on  each  shoulder, 
and  three  rows  of  gold  lace  round  the  cufF,  are  no  com- 
pensation, in  my  eyes,  for  grey  hairs,  thin  legs,  a  broken 
back,  a  church-yard  cough,  and  to  be  laughed  at  or  pitied 
by  all  the  pretty  girls  in  the  country  into  the  bargain." 

"lam  sorry  for  you,  my  hero,"  said  the  young  lady ; 
"  but  you  must  submit." 

"  Well  then,  if  I  must,  I  must,"  said  I ;  "  but  give  me  a 
kiss  in  the  meantime." 

I  asked  for  one,  and  took  a  hundred,  and  should  have 
taken  a  hundred  more,  but  the  confounded  butler  came  in, 
and  brought  me  a  letter  on  service,  which  was  neither 
more  nor  less  than  an  order  to  join  my  ship  forthwith  5  sic 
transit j  &c. 

Pocketing  my  disappointment  with  as  much  sangfroid  as 
I  could  muster,  I  continued  to  beguile  the  time  and  to  solace 
myself  for  my  past  sufferings,  by  as  much  enjoyment  as 
could  be  compressed  into  the  small  space  of  leisure  time 
allotted  to  me.  Fortunately,  the  first  lieutenant  of  the 
frigate  was  what  we  used  to  call  "  a  hard  officer ; "  he  never 
went  on  shore,  because  he  had  few  friends  and  less  money. 
He  drew  for  his  pay  on  the  day  it  became  due,  and  it 
lasted  till  the  next  day  of  payment;  and  as  I  found  he 
doated  on  a  Spanish  cigar,  and  a  correct  glass  of  cognac 
grog — for  he  never  drank  to  excess — I  presented  him  with 


324  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

a  box  of  the  former,  and  a  dozen  of  the  latter,  to  enable 
him  to  bear  my  nightly  absence  with  Christian  composure. 

As  soon  as  the  day's  work  was  ended,  the  good-natured 
lieutenant  used  to  say,  "  Come,  Mr  Mildmay,  I  know  what 
it  is  to  be  in  love  ;  I  was  once  in  love  myself,  though  it  is 
a  good  many  years  ago,  and  I  am  sure  I  shall  get  into  the 
good  graces  of  your  Polly  (for  so  he  called  Emily)  if  I  send 
you  to  her  arms.  There  is  the  jolly  for  you  :  send  the 
boat  off  as  soon  as  you  have  landed,  and  be  with  us  at  nine 
to-morrow  morning,  to  meet  the  midshipman  and  the 
working  party  in  the  dock-yard." 

All  this  was  perfectly  agreeable  to  me.  I  generally  got 
to  Mr  Somerville's  temporary  residence  on  Blackheath  by 
the  time  the  dressing-bell  rang,  and  never  failed  to  meet 
a  pleasant  party  at  dinner.  My  father  and  dear  Clara  were 
guests  in  the  house  as  well  as  myself.  By  Mr  Somerville's 
kind  permission,  I  introduced  Talbot,  who,  being  a 
perfect  gentleman  in  his  manners,  a  man  of  sound  sense, 
good  education,  and  high  aristocratic  connections,  I  was 
proud  to  call  my  friend.  I  presented  him  particularly  to 
my  sister,  and  took  an  opportunity  of  whispering  in  Emily's 
ear,  where  I  knew  it  would  not  long  remain,  that  he 
possessed  the  indispensable  qualification  of  two  epaulettes. 
"  Therefore,"  said  I,  "pray  do  not  trust  yourself  too  near 
him,  for  fear  you  should  be  taken  by  surprise,  like  the 
True-blooded  Yankee? 

Talbot  knowing  that  Emily  was  bespoken,  paid  her  no 
more  than  the  common  attentions  which  courtesy  demands  ; 
but  to  Clara  his  demeanour  was  very  different  :  and  her 
natural  attractions  were  much  enhanced  in  his  eyes,  by  the 
friendship  which  we  had  entertained  for  each  other  ever 
since  the  memorable  affair  of  swimming  away  from  the 
ship  at  Spithead  ;  from  that  time  he  used  jocularly  to  call 
me  "  Leander." 

But  before  I  proceed  any  further  with  this  part  of  my 
history,  I  must  beg  leave  to  detain  the  reader  one  minute 
only,  while  I  attempt  to  make  a  sketch  of  my  dear  little 
sister  Clara.     She  was  rather  fair,  with  a  fine,  small,  oval, 


The  Naval  Officer  325 

well-proportioned  face,  sparkling  black  and  speaking  eyes, 
good  teeth,  pretty  red  lips,  very  dark  hair,  and  plenty  of  it, 
hanging  over  her  face  and  neck  in  curls  of  every  size  ;  her 
arms  and  bust  were  such  as  Phidias  and  Praxiteles  might 
have  copied  ;  her  waist  was  slender ;  her  hands  and  feet 
small  and  beautiful.  I  used  often  to  think  it  was  a  great 
pity  that  such  a  love  as  she  was  should  not  be  matched 
with  some  equally  good  specimen  of  our  sex  ;  and  I  had 
long  fixed  on  my  friend  Talbot  as  the  person  best  adapted 
to  command  this  pretty  little,  tight,  fast-sailing,  well-rigged 
smack. 

Unluckily,  Clara,  with  all  her  charms,  had  one  fault, 
and  that,  in  my  eyes,  was  a  very  serious  one.  Clara  did 
not  love  a  sailor.  The  soldiers  she  doated  on.  But 
Clara's  predilections  were  not  easily  overcome,  and  that 
which  had  once  taken  root  grew  up  and  flourished.  She 
fancied  sailors  were  not  well  bred  ;  that  they  thought  too 
much  of  themselves  or  their  ships  ;  and,  in  short,  that  they 
were  as  rough  and  unpolished  as  they  were  conceited. 

With  such  obstinate  and  long-rooted  prejudices  against 
all  of  our  profession,  it  proved  no  small  share  of  merit  in 
Talbot  to  overcome  them.  But  as  Clara's  love  for  the  army 
was  more  general  than  particular,  Talbot  had  a  vacant 
theatre  to  fight  in.  He  began  by  handing  her  to  dinner, 
and  with  modest  assurance  seated  himself  by  her  side. 
But  so  well  was  he  aware  of  her  failing,  that  he  never  once 
alluded  to  our  unfortunate  element ;  on  the  contrary,  he 
led  her  away  with  every  variety  of  topic  which  he  found 
best  suited  to  her  taste  :  so  that  she  was  at  last  compelled 
to  acknowledge  that  he  might  be  one  exception  to  her  rule, 
and  I  took  the  liberty  of  hoping  that  I  might  be  another. 

One  day  at  dinner  Talbot  called  me  "  Leander,"  which 
instantly  attracted  the  notice  of  the  ladies,  and  an  ex- 
planation was  demanded  ;  but  for  a  time  it  was  evaded, 
and  the  subject  changed.  Emily,  however,  joining 
together  certain  imperfect  reports  which  had  reached  her 
ears,  through  the  kindness  of  "  some  friends  of  the  family," 
began  to  suspect  a  rival,  and  the  next  morning  examined 


326  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

me  so  closely  on  the  subject,  that  fearing  a  disclosure  from 
other  quarters,  I  was  compelled  to  make  a  confession. 

I  told  her  the  whole  history  of  my  acquaintance  with 
Eugenia,  of  my  last  interview,  and  of  her  mysterious 
departure.  I  did  not  even  omit  the  circumstance  of  her 
offering  me  money  ;  but  I  concealed  the  probability  of  her 
being  a  mother.  I  assured  her  that  it  was  full  four  years 
and  a  half  since  we  had  met ;  and  that  as  she  knew  of  my 
engagement,  it  was  unlikely  we  should  ever  meet  again. 
"At  any  rate,"  I  said,  "I  shall  never  seek  her;  and  if 
accident  should  throw  me  in  her  way,  I  trust  I  shall 
behave  like  a  man  of  honour." 

I  did  not  think  it  necessary  to  inform  her  of  the  musket- 
shots  fired  at  me  by  order  of  Talbot,  as  that  might  have 
injured  him  in  the  estimation  of  both  Emily  and  Clara. 
When  I  had  concluded  my  narrative,  Emily  sighed  and 
looked  very  grave.     I  asked  her  if  she  had  forgiven  me. 

"  Conditionally,"     said     she,     "  as    you    said     to     the 


Chapter  XXIII 

In  all  states  of  Europe,  there  are  a  set  of  men  who  assume  from  their 
infancy  a  pre-eminence  independent  of  their  moral  character.  The  atten- 
tion paid  to  them  from  the  moment  of  their  birth,  gives  them  the  idea  that 
they  are  formed  for  command,  and  they  soon  learn  to  consider  themselves 
a  distinct  species :  and,  being  secure  of  a  certain  rank  and  station,  take  no 
pains  to  makes  themselves  worthy  of  it. — Raynal. 

It  is  now  time  to  make  my  reader  acquainted  with  my 
new  ship  and  new  captain.  The  first  was  a  frigate  of  the 
largest  class,  built  on  purpose  to  cope  with  the  large 
double-banked  frigates  of  the  Yankees.  She  carried 
thirty  long  twenty-four  pounders  on  her  main  deck,  and 
the  same  number  of  forty-two  pound  carronades  on  her 
quarter-gangways  and  forecastle. 

I  had  been  a  week  on  board,  doing  duty  during  the  day 
and  flirting  on  shore,  at  Mr  Somerville's,  at  Blackheath, 


The  Naval  Officer  327 

during  the  evening.  I  had  seen  no  captain  yet,  and  the 
first  lieutenant  had  gone  on  shore  one  morning  to  stretch 
his  legs.  I  was  commanding  officer  5  the  people  were  all 
at  their  dinner ;  it  was  a  drizzling  soft  rain,  and  I  was 
walking  the  quarter-deck  by  myself,  when  a  shore-boat 
came  alongside  with  a  person  in  plain  clothes.  I  paid  him 
no  attention,  supposing  him  to  be  a  wine  merchant,  or  a 
slop-seller,  come  to  ask  permission  to  serve  the  ship.  The 
stranger  looked  at  the  dirty  man-ropes,  which  the  side- 
boys  held  off  to  him,  and  inquired  if  there  was  not  a  clean 
pair  ?  The  lad  replied  in  the  negative  ;  and  the  stranger 
perceiving  there  was  no  remedy,  took  hold  of  the  dirty 
ropes  and  ascended  the  side. 

Reaching  the  quarter-deck,  he  come  up  to  me,  and 
showing  a  pair  of  sulphur-coloured  gloves,  bedaubed  with 
tar  and  dirt,  angrily  observed,  "  By  G — ,  Sir,  I  have 
spoiled  a  new  pair  of  gloves." 

"I  always  take  my  gloves  off  when  I  come  up  the 
side,"  said  I. 

"  But  I  choose  to  keep  mine  on,"  said  the  stranger. 
"  And  why  could  not  I  have  had  a  pair  of  clean  ropes  ?" 

"  Because,"  said  I,  "  my  orders  are  only  to  give  them 
when  the  side  is  piped." 

"  And  why  was  not  the  side  piped  for  me,  Sir  ?" 

"  Because,  Sir,  we  never  pipe  the  side  until  we  know 
who  it  is  for." 

"  As  sure  as  I  shall  sit  in  the  House  of  Peers,  I  will 
report  you  to  your  captain  for  this,"  said  he. 

"  We  only  pipe  the  side  for  officers  in  uniform,"  said 
I;  "and  I  am  yet  to  learn  by  what  right  you  demand 
that  honour." 

"I  am,  Sir,"  said  he  (showing  his  card),  "....,  &c. 
Do  you  know  me  now  ?  " 

"Yes,  Sir,"  said  I,  "as  a  gentleman;  but  until  I  see 
you  in  a  captain's  uniform,  I  cannot  give  you  the  honours 
you  demand : "  as  I  said  this,  I  touched  my  hat  respect- 
fully. 

«'*  Then,  Sir,"  said  he,  "  as  sure  as  I  shall  sit  in  the 


328  Frank  Mildraay;  or, 

House  of  Peers,  I  shall  let  you  know  more  of  this  : "  and 
having  asked  whether  the  captain  was  on  board,  and 
received  an  answer  in  the  negative,  he  turned  round 
and  went  down  the  side  into  his  boat,  without  giving 
me  an  opportunity  of  supplying  him  with  a  pair  of  clean 
ropes.  He  pulled  away  for  the  shore,  and  I  never 
heard  any  thing  more  of  the  dirty  ropes  and  soiled  gloves. 

This  officer,  I  afterwards  learned,  was  in  the  habit  of 
interlarding  his  discourse  with  this  darling  object  of  his 
ambition ;  but  as  he  is  now  a  member  of  the  Upper 
House,  it  is  to  be  supposed  he  has  exchanged  the  affidavit 
for  some  other.  While  he  commanded  a  ship,  he  used 
to  say,  "  As  sure  as  I  shall  sit  in  the  House  of  Peers, 
I  will  flog  you,  my  man ; "  and  when  this  denunciation 
had  passed  his  lips,  the  punishment  was  never  remitted. 
With  us,  the  reverse  of  this  became  our  bye-word ; 
lieutenants,  midshipmen,  sailors  and  marines,  asserted 
their  claim  to  veracity  by  saying,  "  As  sure  as  I  shall 
not  sit  in  the  House  of  Peers." 

This  was  the  noble  lord,  who  when  in  the  command 
of  one  of  his  Majesty's  ships  in  China,  employed  a  native 
of  that  country  to  take  his  portrait.  The  resemblance 
not  having  been  flattering,  the  artist  was  sharply  rebuked 
by  his  patron.  The  poor  man  replied,  "  Ai  awe,  master, 
how  can  handsome  face  make  if  handsome  face  no  have 
got  ? "  This  story  has,  like  many  other  good  stories, 
been  pirated,  and  applied  to  other  cases ;  but  I  claim  it 
as  the  legitimate  property  of  the  navy,  and  can  vouch 
for  its  origin  as  I  have  related. 

My  messmates  dropped  in  one  after  another  until  our 
number  was  completed ;  and  at  length  a  note,  in  an 
envelope  addressed  to  the  first  lieutenant  "on  service," 
and  marked  on  the  lower  left  hand  corner  with  the  name 
of  the  noble  writer,  announced  that  our  captain  would 
make  his  appearance  on  the  following  day.  We  were 
of  course  prepared  to  receive  him  in  our  full  uniforms 
with  our  cocked  hats  and  swords,  with  the  marine  guard 
under    arms.      He   came    alongside    at   half-past    twelve 


The  Naval  Officer 


329 


o'clock,  when  the  men  were  at  dinner,  an  unusual  hour 
to  select,  as  it  is  not  the  custom  ever  to  disturb  them  at 
their  meals  if  it  can  be  avoided.  He  appeared  in  a  sort 
of  undress  frock  coat,  fall  down  collar,  anchor  buttons, 
no  epaulettes,  and  a  lancer's  cap,  with  a  broad  gold  band. 

This  was  not  correct,  but  as  he  was  a  lord,  he  claimed 
privilege,  and  on  this  rock  of  privilege  we  found  after- 
wards that  he  always  perched  himself  on  every  occasion. 
We  were  all  presented  to  him ;  and  to  each  he  con- 
descended to  give  a  nod.  His  questions  were  all  confined 
to  the  first  lieutenant,  and  all  related  to  his  own  comforts. 
"Where  is  my  steward  to  lie?  where  is  my  valet  to 
sleep  ?  where  is  my  cow-pen  ?  and  where  are  my  sheep 
to  be  ? "  We  discovered  when  he  had  been  one  hour  in 
our  company,  that  his  noble  self  was  the  god  of  his 
idolatry.  As  for  the  details  of  the  ship  and  her  crew, 
masts,  rigging,  stowage,  provisions,  the  water  she  would 
carry,  and  how  much  she  drew,  they  were  subjects  on 
which  he  never  fatigued  his  mind. 

One  hour  having  expired  since  he  had  come  on  board, 
he  ordered  his  boat,  and  returned  to  the  shore,  and  we 
saw  no  more  of  him  until  we  arrived  at  Spithead,  when 
his  lordship  came  on  board,  accompanied  by  a  person 
whom  we  soon  discovered  was  a  half  pay  purser  in  the 
navy :  a  man  who,  by  dint  of  the  grossest  flattery  and 
numerous  little  attentions,  had  so  completely  ingratiated 
himself  with  his  patron,  that  he  had  become  as  necessary 
an  appendage  to  the  travelling  equipage,  as  the  port- 
manteau or  the  valet-de-chambre.  This  despicable  toady 
was  his  lordship's  double ;  he  was  a  living  type  of  the 
Gnatho  of  Terence ;  and  I  never  saw  him  without 
remembering  the  passage  that  ends  "  si  negat  id  quoque 
nego?  Black  was  white,  and  white  was  black  with  toady, 
if  his  lordship  pleased  ;  he  messed  in  the  cabin,  did  much 
mischief  in  the  ship,  and  only  escaped  kicking,  because  he 
was  too  contemptible  to  be  kicked. 

My  fair  readers  are  no  doubt  anxious  to  know  how  I 
parted  with  Emily,  and  truly  I  am  not  unwilling  to  oblige 


330  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

them,  though  it  is,  indeed,  a  tender  subject.  As  soon  as 
we  received  our  orders  to  proceed  to  Spithead,  Mr  Somer- 
ville,  who  had  kept  his  house  at  Blackheath  while  the  ship 
was  fitting,  in  hopes  that  my  promotion  might  have  taken 
place  before  she  was  ready,  now  prepared  to  quit  the 
place.  To  the  renewed  application  of  my  father,  the 
answer  was  that  I  must  go  abroad  for  my  promotion. 
This  at  once  decided  him  to  break  up  his  summer  quarters, 
very  wisely  foreseeing  that  unless  he  did  so,  my  services 
would  be  lost  to  my  ship ;  and  if  he  and  Emily  did  not 
leave  me  behind  at  Woolwich,  I  should  probably  be  left 
behind  by  my  captain :  he  therefore  announced  his  in- 
tended departure  within  twenty-four  hours. 

Emily  was  very  sorry,  and  so  was  I.  I  kindly  reproached 
her  with  her  cruelty  ;  but  she  replied  with  a  degree  of 
firmness  and  good  sense,  which  I  could  not  but  admire, 
that  she  had  but  one  counsellor,  and  that  was  her  father, 
and  that  until  she  was  married,  she  never  intended  to  have 
any  other  ;  that  by  his  advice  she  had  delayed  the  union : 
and  as  we  were  neither  of  us  very  old  people,  "  I  trust  in 
God,"  said  she,  "  we  may  meet  again."  I  admired  hei 
heroism,  gave  her  one  kiss,  handed  her  into  her  carriage, 
and  we  shook  hands.  I  need  not  say  I  saw  a  tear  or  two 
in  her  eyes.  Mr  Somerville  saw  the  shower  coming  on, 
pulled  up  the  glass,  gave  me  a  friendly  nod,  and  the 
carriage  drove  off.  The  last  I  saw  of  Emily,  at  that  time, 
was  her  right  hand,  which  carried  her  handkerchief  to  her 
eyes. 

After  the  dear  inmates  were  gone,  I  turned  from  the 
door  of  the  house  in  disgust,  and  ran  direct  to  my  boat, 
like  a  dog  with  a  tin-kettle.  When  I  got  on  board,  I 
hated  the  sight  of  every  body,  and  the  smell  of  every 
thing ;  pitch,  paint,  bilge-water,  tar  and  rum,  entering 
into  horrible  combination,  had  conspired  against  me :  and  I 
was  as  sick  and  as  miserable  as  the  most  love-sick  seaman 
can  conceive.  I  have  before  observed  that  we  had  arrived 
at  Spithead,  and  as  I  have  nothing  new  to  say  of  that  place, 
I  shall  proceed  to  sea. 


The  Naval  Officer 


331 


We  sailed  for  the  North  American  station,  the  pleasantest 
I  could  go  to  when  away  from  Emily.  Our  passage  was 
tedious,  and  we  were  put  on  short  allowance  of  water. 
Those  only  who  have  known  it  will  understand  it.  All 
felt  it  but  the  captain  -,  who,  claiming  privilege,  took  a 
dozen  gallons  every  day  to  bathe  his  feet  in,  and  that 
water,  when  done  with,  was  greedily  sought  for  by  the 
men.  There  was  some  murmuring  about  it,  which  came 
to  the  captain's  ears,  who  only  observed,  with  an  apathy 
peculiar  to  Almack's, 

"  Well,  you  know,  if  a  man  has  no  privilege,  what's  the 
use  of  being  a  captain? " 

"Very  true,  my  lord,"  said  the  toad-eater,  with  a  low 
bow. 

I  will  now  give  a  short  description  of  his  lordship.  He 
was  a  smart,  dapper,  well  made  man,  with  a  handsome, 
but  not  an  intellectual  countenance  ;  cleanly  and  particular 
in  his  person ;  and,  assisted  by  the  puffs  of  Toady,  had 
a  very  good  opinion  of  himself ;  proud  of  his  aristocratic 
birth,  and  still  more  vain  of  his  personal  appearance.  His 
knowledge  on  most  points  was  superficial — high  life,  and 
anecdotes  connected  with  it,  were  the  usual  topics  of  his 
discourse ;  at  his  own  table  he  generally  engrossed  all 
the  conversation  :  and  while  his  guests  drank  his  wine, 
"  they  laughed  with  counterfeited  glee,"  &c.  His  reading 
was  comprised  in  two  volumes  octavo,  being  the  Memoirs 
of  the  Count  de  Grammont,  which  amusing  and  aristo- 
cratical  work  was  never  out  of  his  hand.  He  had  been 
many  years  at  sea ;  but  strange  to  say,  knew  nothing, 
literally  nothing,  of  his  profession.  Seamanship,  naviga- 
tion, and  every  thing  connected  with  the  service,  he  was 
perfectly  ignorant  of.  I  had  heard  him  spoken  of  as  a 
good  officer,  before  he  joined  us ;  and  I  must,  in  justice 
to  him,  say  that  he  was  naturally  good  tempered,  and  I 
believe  as  brave  a  man  as  ever  drew  a  sword. 

He  seldom  made  any  professional  remark,  being  aware 
of  his  deficiency,  and  never  ventured  beyond  his  depth 
intentionally.     When   he   came  on  the   quarter-deck,  he 


3 $2  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

usually  looked  at  the  weather  main-brace,  and  if  it  was 
not  as  taut  as  a  bar,  would  order  it  to  be  made  so.  Here 
he  could  not  easily  commit  himself ;  but  it  became  a  bye- 
word  with  us  when  we  laughed  at  him  below.  He  had 
a  curious  way  of  forgetting,  or  pretending  to  forget,  the 
names  of  men  and  things,  I  presume,  because  they  were 
so  much  beneath  him ;  and  in  their  stead,  substituted  the 
elegant  phrases  of  "  What's-his-name,"  "  What-do-ye-call- 
'em,"  and  "  thingumbob." 

One  day  he  came  on  deck,  and  actually  gave  me  the 
following  very  intelligible  order.  "  Mr,  What's-his-name, 
have  the  goodness  to  —  what-do-ye-call-'em, — the, — the 
thingumbob." 

"  Ay,  ay,  my  lord,"  said  I.  "  Afterguard  !  haul  taut 
the  weather  main-brace."  This  was  exactly  what  he 
meant. 

He  was  very  particular  and  captious  when  not  properly 
addressed.  When  an  order  is  given  by  a  commanding 
officer,  it  is  not  unusual  to  say,  "  Very  good,  Sir ; "  im- 
plying that  you  perfectly  understand,  and  are  going  cheer- 
fully to  obey  it.  I  had  adopted  this  answer,  and  gave 
it  to  his  lordship  when  I  received  an  order  from  him, 
saying  "  Very  good,  my  lord." 

"  Mr  Mildmay,"  said  his  lordship,  "  I  don't  suppose 
you  mean  anything  like  disrespect,  but  I  will  thank  you 
not  to  make  that  answer  again  :  it  is  for  me  to  say  '  very 
good,'  and  not  you.  You  seem  to  approve  of  my  order, 
and  I  don't  like  it ;  I  beg  you  will  not  do  it  again,  you 
know." 

14  Very  good,  my  lord,"  said  I,  so  inveterate  is  habit. 
"  I  beg  your  lordship's  pardon,  I  mean  very  well." 

"  I  don't  much  like  that  young  man,"  said  his  lordship 
to  his  toady,  who  followed  him  up  and  down  the  quarter- 
deck, like  "  the  bob-tail  cur,"  looking  his  master  in  the 
face.  I  did  not  hear  the  answer,  but  of  course  it  was 
an  echo. 

The  first  time  we  reefed  topsails  at  sea,  the  captain 
was  on  deck  ;   he  said  nothing,   but  merely  looked  on. 


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333 


The  second  time,  we  found  he  had  caught  all  the  words 
of  the  first  lieutenant,  and  repeated  them  in  a  loud  and 
pompous  voice,  without  knowing  whether  they  were 
applicable  to  the  case  or  not.  The  third  time  he  fancied 
he  was  able  to  go  alone,  and  down  he  fell — he  made  a 
sad  mistake  indeed.  "  Hoist  away  the  fore-topsail,"  said 
the  first  lieutenant.  "  Hoist  away  the  fore-topsail,"  said 
the  captain.  The  men  were  stamping  aft,  and  the  topsail 
yards  travelling  up  to  the  mast-head  very  fast,  when  they 
were  stopped  by  a  sudden  check  with  the  fore-topsail 
haul-yards. 

"What's  the  matter?"  said  the  first  lieutenant,  calling 
to  me,  who  was  at  my  station  on  the  forecastle. 

"  Something  foul  of  the  topsail-tie,"  I  replied. 

"  What's  the  matter  forward  ? "  said  the  captain. 

"  Topsail- tie  is  foul,  my  lord,"  answered  the  first 
lieutenant. 

"  D — n  the  topsail- tie  !  cut  it  away.  Out  knife  there, 
aloft !  I  will  have  the  topsail  hoisted ;  cut  away  the 
topsail-tie." 

For  the  information  of  my  land  readers,  I  should  observe 
that  the  topsail-tie  was  the  very  rope  which  was  at  that 
moment  suspending  the  yard  aloft.  The  cutting  it  would 
have  disabled  the  ship  until  it  could  have  been  repaired ; 
and  had  the  order  been  obeyed,  the  topsail-yard  itself, 
would,  in  all  probability,  have  been  sprung  or  broke  in 
two  on  the  cap. 

We  arrived  at  Halifax  without  falling  in  with  an  enemy ; 
and  as  soon  as  the  ship  was  secured,  I  went  on  shore  to 
visit  all  my  dear  Dulcineas,  every  one  of  whom  I  per- 
suaded, that  on  her  account  alone  I  had  used  my  utmost 
interest  to  be  sent  out  on  the  station.  Fortunately  for 
them  and  for  me,  I  was  not  long  permitted  to  trifle  away 
my  time.  We  were  ordered  to  cruise  on  the  coast  of 
North  America.  It  was  winter  and  very  cold ;  we  en- 
countered many  severe  gales  of  wind,  during  which  time 
we  suffered  much  from  the  frequent  and  sudden  snow- 
storms, north-east  gales,  and  sharp  frosts,  which  rendered 


334  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

our  running-rigging  almost  unmanageable,  and  obliged 
us  to  pour  boiling  water  into  the  sheaves  of  the  blocks 
to  thaw  them,  and  allow  the  ropes  to  traverse  ;  nor  did 
the  cold  permit  the  captain  to  honour  us  with  his  presence 
on  deck  more  than  once  in  the  twenty-four  hours. 

We  anchored  off  a  part  of  the  coast,  which  was  not  in 
a  state  of  defence,  and  the  people  being  unprotected  by 
their  own  government,  considered  themselves  as  neutrals, 
and  supplied  us  with  as  much  fish,  poultry,  and  vegetables, 
as  we  required.  "While  we  lay  here,  the  captain  and 
officers  frequently  went  on  shore  for  a  short  time  without 
molestation.  One  night,  after  the  captain  had  returned, 
a  snow-storm  and  a  gale  of  wind  came  on.  The  captain's 
gig,  which  ought  to  have  been  hoisted  up,  was  not;  she 
broke  her  painter,  and  went  adrift,  and  had  been  gone 
some  time  before  she  was  missed.  The  next  morning,  on 
making  inquiry,  it  was  found  that  the  boat  had  drifted  on 
shore  a  few  miles  from  where  we  lay ;  and  that  having 
been  taken  possession  of  by  the  Americans,  they  had 
removed  her  to  a  hostile  part  of  the  coast,  twenty-two 
miles  off.  The  captain  was  very  much  annoyed  at  the  loss 
of  his  boat,  which  he  considered  as  his  own  private 
property,  although  built  on  board  by  the  king's  men, 
and  with  the  king's  plank  and  nails. 

"  As  my  private  property,"  said  his  lordship,  "  it  ought 
to  be  given  up,  you  know." 

I  did  not  tell  him  that  I  had  seen  the  sawyers  cutting 
an  anchor-stock  into  the  plank  of  which  it  was  built,  and 
that  the  said  plank  had  been  put  down  to  other  services 
in  the  expense-book.  This,  however,  was  no  business  of 
mine ;  nor  had  I  any  idea  that  the  loss  of  this  little  boat 
would  so  nearly  produce  my  final  catastrophe ;  so  it  was, 
however,  and  very  serious  results  took  place  in  con- 
sequence of  this  accident. 

"They  must  respect  private  property,  you  know," 
said  the  captain  to  the  first  lieutenant. 

"  Yes,"  answered  the  lieutenant ;  "but  they  do  not 
know  that  it  is  private  property." 


The  Naval  Officer  335 

"  Very  true :  then  I  will  send  and  tell  them  so ; "  and 
down  he  went  to  his  dinner. 

The  yawl  was  ordered  to  be  got  ready,  and  hoisted  out 
at  daylight,  and  I  had  notice  given  me  that  I  was  to 
go  away  in  her.  About  nine  o'clock  the  next  morning, 
I  was  sent  for  into  the  cabin ;  his  lordship  was  still  in  bed, 
and  the  green  silk  curtains  were  drawn  close  round  his 
cot. 

"  Mr  Thingamy,"  said  his  lordship,  "  you  will  take  the 
what's-his-name,  you  know." 

"  Yes,  my  lord,"  said  I. 

"  And  you  will  go  to  that  town,  and  ask  for  my  thing- 
umbob." 

"  For  your  gig,  my  lord  ?  "  said  I. 

"  Yes,  that's  all." 

"  But,  my  lord,  suppose  they  won't  give  it  to  me  ?  " 

"  Then  take  it." 

"  Suppose  the  gig  is  not  there,  my  lord,  and  if  there, 
suppose  they  refuse  to  give  it  up  ?  " 

"  Then  take  every  vessel  out  of  the  harbour." 

"  Very  well,  my  lord.  Am  I  to  put  the  gun  in  the  boat  ? 
or  to  take  muskets  only  ? " 

"  Oh,  no,  no  arms — take  a  flag  of  truce — No.  8  (white 
flag)  will  do." 

"  Suppose  they  will,  not  accept  the  flag  of  truce,  my 
lord  ? " 

"  Oh,  but  they  will :  they  always  respect  a  flag  of  truce, 
you  know." 

"  I  beg  your  lordship's  pardon,  but  I  think  a  few  muskets 
in  the  boat  would  be  of  service." 

"  No,  no,  no, — no  arms.  You  will  be  fighting  about 
nothing.     You  have  your  orders,  Sir." 

"  Yes,"  thinks  I,  "  I  have.  If  I  succeed,  I  am  a  robber ; 
if  I  fail,  I  am  liable  to  be  hanged  on  the  first  tree." 

I  left  the  cabin,  and  went  to  the  first  lieutenant.  I  told 
him  what  my  orders  were.  This  officer  was,  as  I  before 
observed,  a  man  who  had  no  friends,  and  was  therefore 
entirely  dependent  on  the  captain  for  his  promotion,  and 


336  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

was  afraid  to  act  contrary  to  his  lordship's  orders,  however 
absurd.  I  told  him,  that  whatever  might  me  the  captain's 
orders,  I  would  not  go  without  arms. 

"  The  orders  of  his  lordship  must  be  obeyed,"  said  the 
lieutenant. 

"Why,"  said  I,  irritated  at  his  folly,  "you  are  as  clever 
a  fellow  as  the  skipper." 

This  he  considered  so  great  an  affront ,  that  he  ran  down 
to  his  cabin,  saying,  "  You  shall  hear  from  me  again  for 
this,  Sir." 

I  concluded  that  he  meant  to  try  me  by  a  court-martial, 
to  which  I  had  certainly  laid  myself  open  by  this  unguarded 
expression ;  but  I  went  on  the  quarter-deck,  and,  during 
his  absence,  got  as  many  muskets  into  the  boat  as  I  wanted, 
with  a  proper  proportion  of  ammunition.  This  was  hardly 
completed,  before  the  lieutenant  came  up  again,  and  put  a 
letter  into  my  hands  :  which  was  no  more  than  the  very 
comfortable  intelligence,  that,  on  my  return  from  the 
expedition  on  which  I  was  then  going,  he  should  expect 
satisfaction  for  the  affront  I  had  offered  him.  I  was  glad, 
however,  to  find  it  was  no  worse.  I  laughed  at  his  threat ; 
and,  as  the  very  head  and  front  of  my  offending  was  only 
having  compared  him  to  the  captain,  he  could  not  show  any 
resentment  openly,  for  fear  of  displeasing  his  patron.  In 
short,  to  be  offended  at  it,  was  to  offer  the  greatest  possible 
affront  to  the  man  he  looked  up  to  for  promotion,  and  thus 
destroy  all  his  golden  prospects. 

As  I  put  this  well-timed  challenge  into  my  pocket,  I 
walked  down  the  side,  got  into  my  boat,  and  put  off.  It 
wanted  but  one  hour  of  sunset  when  I  reached  the  part 
where  this  infernal  gig  was  supposed  to  be,  and  the  sky 
gave  strong  indications  of  an  approaching  gale.  Indeed,  I 
do  not  believe  another  captain  in  the  navy  could  have  been 
found  who,  at  such  a  season  of  the  year,  would  have  risked 
a  boat  so  far  from  the  ship  on  an  enemy's  coast  and  a  lee- 
shore,  for  such  a  worthless  object. 

My  crew  consisted  of  twenty  men  and  a  midshipman. 
When  we  arrived  off  the  mouth  of  the  harbour,  we  per- 


The  Naval  Officer  ^37 

ceived  four  vessels  lying  at  anchor,  and  pulled  directly  in. 
We  had,  however,  no  opportunity  of  trying  our  flag  of 
truce,  for  as  soon  as  we  came  within  range  of  musket-shot, 
a  volley  from  two  hundred  concealed  militiamen  struck 
down  four  of  my  men.  There  was  then  nothing  left  for  it 
but  to  board,  and  bring  out  the  vessels.  Two  of  them 
were  aground,  and  we  set  them  on  fire,  it  being  dead  low 
water  (thanks  to  the  delay  in  the  morning)  :  in  doing  this, 
we  had  more  men  wounded.  I  then  took  possession  of  the 
other  two  vessels,  and  giving  one  of  them  in  charge  of  the 
midshipman,  who  was  quite  a  lad,  I  desired  him  to  weigh 
his  anchor.  I  gave  him  the  boat,  with  all  the  men  except 
four,  which  I  kept  with  me.  The  poor  fellow  probably 
lost  more  men,  for  he  cut  his  cable,  and  got  out  before  me. 
I  weighed  my  anchor,  but  had  one  of  my  men  killed  by  a 
musket  ball  in  doing  it.  I  stood  out  after  the  midshipman. 
"We  had  gained  an  offing  of  four  miles,  when  a  violent  gale 
and  snow-storm  came  on.  The  sails  belonging  to  the  vessel 
all  blew  to  rags  immediately,  being  very  old.  I  had  no 
resource,  except  to  anchor,  which  I  did  on  a  bank,  in  five 
fathom  water.  The  other  vessel  lost  all  her  sails,  and, 
having  no  anchor,  as  I  then  conjectured,  and  afterwards 
learned,  drifted  on  shore,  and  was  dashed  to  pieces,  the 
people  being  either  frozen  to  death,  wounded,  or  taken 
prisoners. 

The  next  morning  I  could  see  the  vessel  lying  on  shore 
a  wreck,  covered  with  ice.  A  dismal  prospect  to  me, 
as  at  that  time  I  knew  not  what  had  become  of  the  men. 
My  own  situation  was  even  less  enviable ;  the  vessel  was 
frail,  and  deeply  laden  with  salt :  a  cargo,  which,  if  it 
by  any  means  gets  wet,  is  worse  than  water,  since  it 
cannot  be  pumped  out,  and  becomes  as  heavy  as  lead ; 
nothing  could,  in  that  event,  have  kept  the  vessel  afloat, 
and  we  had  no  boat  in  case  of  such  an  accident.  I  had 
three  men  with  me,  besides  the  dead  body,  in  the  cabin, 
and  a  pantry  as  clear  as  an  empty  house :  not  an  article 
of  any  description  to  eat.  I  was  four  miles  from  the 
shore,  in  a  heavy  gale  of  wind,  the   pleasure   of  which 

M  Y 


338  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

was  enhanced  by  snow,  and  the  bitterest  cold  I  ever 
experienced.  We  proceeded  to  examine  the  vessel,  and 
found  that  there  was  on  board  a  quantity  of  sails  and 
canvas,  that  did  not  fit,  but  had  been  bought  with  an 
intention  of  making  up  for  this  vessel,  and  not  before 
she  wanted  them ;  there  was  also  an  abundance  of  palms, 
needles,  and  twine  ;  but  to  eat,  there  was  nothing  except 
salt,  and  to  drink,  nothing  but  one  cask  of  fresh  water. 
We  kindled  a  fire  in  the  cabin,  and  made  ourselves  as 
warm  as  we  could,  taking  a  view  on  deck  now  and  then, 
to  see  if  she  drove,  or  if  the  gale  abated.  She  pitched 
heavily,  taking  in  whole  seas  over  the  forecastle,  and  the 
water  froze  on  the  deck.  The  next  morning  we  found 
we  had  drifted  a  mile  nearer  to  the  shore,  and  the  gale 
continued  with  unabated  violence.  The  other  vessel  lay 
a  wreck,  with  her  masts  gone,  and  as  it  were  in  terrorem, 
staring  us  in  the  face. 

We  felt  the  most  pinching  hunger ;  we  had  no  fuel 
after  the  second  day,  except  what  we  pulled  down  from 
the  bulkheads  of  the  cabin.  We  amused  ourselves  below, 
making  a  suit  of  sails  for  the  vessel,  and  drinking  hot 
water  to  repel  the  cold.  But  this  work  could  not  have 
lasted  long ;  the  weather  became  more  intensely  cold, 
and  twice  did  we  set  the  prize  on  fire,  in  our  liberality 
with  the  stove  to  keep  ourselves  warm.  The  ice  formed 
on  the  surface  of  the  water  in  our  kettle,  till  it  was  dis- 
solved by  the  heat  from  the  bottom.  The  second  night 
passed  like  the  first  ;  and  we  found,  in  the  morning, 
that  we  had  drifted  within  two  miles  of  the  shore.  We 
completed  our  little  sails  this  day,  and  with  great  diffi- 
culty contrived  to  bend  them. 

The  men  were  now  exhausted  with  cold  and  hunger, 
and  proposed  that  we  should  cut  our  cable  and  run  on 
shore ;  but  I  begged  them  to  wait  till  the  next  morning, 
as  these  gales  seldom  lasted  long.  This  they  agreed  to : 
and  we  again  huddled  together  to  keep  ourselves  warm, 
the  outside  man  pulling  the  dead  man  close  to  him  by 
way  of  a  blanket.     The  gale  this  night  moderated,  and 


The  Naval  Officer 


339 


towards  the  morning  the  weather  was  fine,  although  the 
wind  was  against  us,  and  to  beat  her  up  to  the  ship  was 
impossible.  From  the  continued  freezing  of  the  water, 
the  bob-stays  and  the  rigging  were  coated  with  ice  five 
or  six  inches  thick,  and  the  forecastle  was  covered  with 
two  feet  of  clear  ice,  showing  the  ropes  coiled  under- 
neath it. 

There  was  no  more  to  be  done  :  so,  desiring  the  men  to 
cut  the  cable,  I  made  up  my  mind  to  run  the  vessel  on 
shore,  and  give  myself  up.  We  hoisted  the  fore-sail, 
and  I  stood  in  with  the  intention  of  surrendering  myself 
and  people  at  a  large  town  which  I  knew  was  situated 
about  twelve  miles  farther  on  the  coast.  To  have  given 
myself  up  at  the  place  where  the  vessels  had  been  captured, 
I  did  not  think  would  have  been  prudent. 

When  we  made  sail  on  the  third  morning,  we  had 
drifted  within  half  a  mile  of  the  shore,  and  very  near  the 
place  we  had  left.  Field  pieces  had  been  brought  down  to 
to  us.  They  had  the  range,  but  they  could  not  reach  us. 
I  continued  to  make  more  sail,  and  to  creep  along  shore, 
until  I  came  within  a  few  cables'  length  of  the  pier,  where 
men,  women,  and  children  were  assembled  to  see  us  land ; 
when  suddenly  a  snow-storm  came  on  ;  the  wind  shifted, 
and  blew  with  such  violence,  that  I  could  neither  see  the 
port,  nor  turn  the  vessel  to  windward  into  it;  and  as  I 
knew  I  could  not  hold  my  own,  and  that  the  wind  was 
fair  for  our  ship,  then  distant  about  forty  miles,  we  agreed 
to  up  helm  and  scud  for  her. 

This  was  well  executed.  About  eleven  at  night  we 
hailed  her,  and  asked  for  a  boat.  They  had  seen  us 
approaching,  and  a  boat  instantly  came,  taking  us  all  on 
board  the  frigate,  and  leaving  some  fresh  hands  in  charge 
of  the  prize. 

I  was  mad  with  hunger  and  cold,  and  with  difficulty 
did  we  get  up  the  side,  so  exhausted  and  feeble  were  the 
whole  of  us.  I  was  ordered  down  into  the  cabin,  for  it 
was  too  cold  for  the  captain  to  show  his  face  on  deck. 
I  found  his  lordship  sitting  before  a  good  fire,  with  his 


34<>  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

toes  in  the  grate  ;  a  decanter  of  Madeira  stood  on  the 
table,  with  a  wine  glass,  and  most  fortunately,  though 
not  intended  for  my  use,  a  large  rummer.  This  I  seized 
with  one  hand  and  the  decanter  with  the  other ;  and, 
filling  a  bumper,  swallowed  it  in  a  moment,  without  even 
drinking  his  lordship's  good  health.  He  stared,  and  I 
believe  thought  me  mad.  I  certainly  do  own  that  my 
dress  and  appearance  perfectly  corresponded  with  my 
actions.  I  had  not  been  washed,  shaved,  or  "  cleaned," 
since  I  had  left  the  ship,  three  days  before.  My  beard 
was  grown,  my  cheeks  hollow,  my  eyes  sunk,  and  for 
my  stomach,  I  leave  that  to  those  fortunate  Frenchmen 
who  escaped  from  the  Russian  campaign,  who  only  can 
appreciate  my  sufferings.  My  whole  haggard  frame 
was  enveloped  in  a  huge  blue  flushing  coat,  frosted,  like 
a  plum-cake,  with  ice  and  snow. 

As  soon  as  I  could  speak,  I  said,  "  I  beg  pardon,  my 
lord,  but  I  have  had  nothing  to  eat  or  drink  since  I  left 
the  ship." 

"  Oh,  then  you  are  very  welcome,"  said  his  lordship ; 
"  I  never  expected  to  see  you  again." 

"  Then  why  the  devil  did  you  send  me  ?  "  thought  I  to 
myself. 

During  this  short  dialogue,  I  had  neither  been  offered 
a  chair  nor  any  refreshment,  of  which  I  stood  so  much  in 
need ;  and  if  I  had  been  able,  should  have  been  kept 
standing  while  I  related  my  adventures.  I  was  about  to 
commence,  when  the  wine  got  into  my  head ;  and  to 
support  myself,  I  leaned,  or  rather  staggered,  on  the  back 
of  a  chair. 

"  Never  mind  now,"  said  the  captain,  apparently  moved 
from  his  listless  apathy  by  my  situation ;  "go  and  make 
yourself  comfortable,  and  I  will  hear  it  all  to-morrow." 

This  was  the  only  kind  thing  he  had  ever  done  for  me  5 
and  it  came  so  apropos,  that  I  felt  grateful  to  him  for  it, 
thanked  him,  and  went  below  to  the  gun-room,  where, 
notwithstanding  all  I  had  heard  and  read  of  the  dangers 
of  repletion  after  long  abstinence,  I  ate  voraciously,  and 


The  Naval  Officer  341 

drank  proportionably,  ever  and  anon  telling  my  astonished 
messmates,  who  were  looking  on,  what  a  narrow  escape 
the  dead  body  had  of  being  dissected  and  broiled.  This, 
from  the  specimen  of  my  performance,  they  had  no 
difficulty  in  believing.  I  recommended  the  three  men  who 
had  been  with  me  to  the  care  of  the  surgeon  ;  and,  with 
his  permission,  presented  each  of  them  with  a  pint  of  hot 
brandy  and  water,  well  sweetened,  by  way  of  a  night  cap. 
Having  taken  these  precautions,  and  satisfied  the  cravings 
of  nature  on  my  own  part,  as  well  as  the  cravings  of 
curiosity  on  that  of  my  messmates,  I  went  to  bed,  and 
slept  soundly  till  the  next  day  at  noon. 

Thus  ended  this  anomalous  and  fatal  expedition  :  an 
ambassador  sent  with  the  sacred  emblem  of  peace,  to 
commit  an  act  of  hostility  under  its  protection.  To  have 
been  taken  under  such  circumstances,  would  have  subjected 
us  to  be  hung  like  dogs  on  the  first  tree  ;  to  have  gone 
unarmed,  would  have  been  an  act  of  insanity,  and  I  there- 
fore took  upon  me  to  disobey  an  unjust  and  absurd  order. 
This,  however,  must  not  be  pleaded  as  an  example  to 
juniors,  but  a  warning  to  seniors  how  they  give  orders 
without  duly  weighing  the  consequences:  the  safest  plan 
is  always  to  obey.  Thus  did  his  Majesty's  service  lose 
eighteen  fine  fellows,  under  much  severe  suffering,  for 
a  boat,  "  the  private  property  "  of  the  captain,  not  worth 
twenty  pounds. 

The  next  day,  as  soon  as  I  was  dressed,  the  first 
lieutenant  sent  to  speak  to  me.  I  then  recollected  the 
little  affair  of  the  challenge.  "  A  delightful  after-piece," 
thought  I,  "to  the  tragedy,  to  be  shot  by  the  first 
lieutenant  only  for  calling  him  as  clever  a  fellow  as  the 
captain."  The  lieutenant,  however,  had  no  such  barbarous 
intentions  ;  he  had  seen  and  acknowledged  the  truth  of 
my  observation,  and,  being  a  well  meaning  north-country- 
man, he  offered  me  his  hand,  which  I  took  with  pleasure, 
having  had  quite  enough  of  stimulus  for  that  time. 


342  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 


Chapter  XXIV 

Bell.  You  have  an  opportunity  now,  Madam,  to  revenge  yourself  upon 
him  for  affronting  your  squirrel. 
Belin.  O,  the  filthy,  rude  beast. 
Aram.  *Tis  a  lasting  quarrel. 

Old  BacJulor. 

We  sailed  the  next  day,  and  after  one  month  more  of 
unsuccessful  cruising,  arrived  safe  at  Halifax,  where  I 
was  informed  that  an  old  friend  of  my  father's,  Sir 
Hurricane  Humbug,  of  whom  some  mention  has  already 
been  made  in  this  work,  had  just  arrived.  He  was  not  in 
an  official  character,  but  had  come  out  to  look  after  his 
own  property.  It  is  absolutely  necessary  that  I  should 
here,  with  more  than  usual  formality,  introduce  the  reader 
to  an  intimnte  acquaintance  with  the  character  of  Sir 
Hurricane. 

Sir  Hurricane  had  risen  in  life  by  his  own  ingenuity, 
and  the  patronage  of  a  rich  man  in  the  South  of  England  : 
he  was  of  an  ardent  disposition,  and  was  an  admirable 
justice  of  peace,  when  the  argumentum  baculinum  was 
required,  for  which  reason  he  had  been  sent  to  re- 
duce two  or  three  refractory  establishments  to  order  and 
obedience ;  and,  by  his  firmness  and  good  humour,  suc- 
ceeded. His  tact  was  a  little  knowledge  of  everything 
(not  like  Solomon's,  from  the  hyssop  to  the  cedar),  but 
from  the  boiler  of  a  potato  to  the  boiler  of  a  steam-boat, 
and  from  catching  a  sprat  to  catching  a  whale ;  he  could 
fatten  pigs  and  poultry,  and  had  a  peculiar  way  of  improv- 
ing the  size,  though  not  the  breed  of  the  latter ;  in  short, 
he  was  "jack  of  all  trades  and  master  of  none." 

I  shall  not  go  any  farther  back  with  his  memoirs  than 
the  day  he  chose  to  teach  an  old  woman  how  to  make 
mutton-broth.  He  had,  in  the  course  of  an  honest  dis- 
charge of  his  duty,  at  a  certain  very  dirty  sea-port  town, 
incurred  the  displeasure  of  the  lower  orders  generally  :  he 
nevertheless   would  omit  no  opportunity  of  doing  good, 


The  Naval  Officer  343 

and  giving  advice  to  the  poor,  gratis.  One  day  he  saw  a 
woman  emptying  the  contents  of  a  boiling  kettle  out  of 
her  door  into  the  street.  He  approached,  and  saw  a 
leg  of  mutton  at  the  bottom,  and  the  unthrifty  housewife 
throwing  away  the  liquor  in  which  it  had  been  boiled. 

"  Good  woman,"  said  the  economical  baronet,  "  do  you 
know  what  you  are  doing  ?  A  handful  of  meat,  a  couple 
of  carrots,  and  a  couple  of  turnips,  cut  up  into  dice,  and 
thrown  into  that  liquor,  with  a  little  parsley,  would  make 
excellent  mutton-broth  for  your  family." 

The  old  woman  looked  up,  and  saw  the  ogre  of  the 
dockyard  ;  and  either  by  losing  her  presence  of  mind,  or 
by  a  most  malignant  slip  of  the  hand,  she  contrived  to 
pour  a  part  of  the  boiling  water  into  the  shoes  of  Sir 
Hurricane.  The  baronet  jumped,  roared,  hopped, 
stamped,  kicked  off  his  shoes,  and  ran  home,  d — ning  the 
old  woman,  and  himself  too,  for  having  tried  to  teach  her 
how  to  make  mutton-broth.  As  he  ran  off,  the  ungrateful 
hag  screamed  after  him,  "  Sarves  you  right ;  teach  you  to 
mind  your  own  business." 

The  next  day,  in  his  magisterial  capacity,  he  commanded 
the  attendance  of  "the  dealer  in  slops."  "'Well,  Madam, 
what  have  you  got  to  say  for  yourself  for  scalding  one  of 
his  Majesty's  Justices  of  the  Peace  ?  don't  you  know  that 
I  have  the  power  to  commit  you  to  Maidstone  gaol  for  the 
assault  ?  " 

"  I  beg  your  honour's  pardon,  humbly,"  said  the  woman; 
"  I  did  not  know  it  was  your  honour,  or  I  am  sure  I 
wouldn't  a  done  it  ;  besides,  I  own  to  your  honour,  I  had 
a  drop  too  much." 

The  good-natured  baronet  dismissed  her  with  a  little 
suitable  advice,  which  no  doubt  the  good  woman  treated 
as  she  did  that  relative  to  the  mutton-broth. 

My  acquaintance  with  Sir  Hurricane  had  commenced  at 
Plymouth,  when  he  kicked  my  ship  to  sea  in  a  gale  of 
wind,  for  fear  we  should  ground  on  our  beef  bones.  I 
never  forgave  him  for  that.  My  father  had  shown  him 
great  civility,  and  had  introduced  me  to  him.     When  at 


344  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

Halifax,  we  resided  in  the  same  house  with  a  mutual  friend, 
who  had  always  received  me  as  his  own  son.  He  had  a  son 
of  my  own  age,  with  whom  I  had  long  been  on  terms  of 
warm  friendship,  and  Ned  and  I  confederated  against  Sir 
Hurricane.  Having  paid  a  few  visits  en  passant,  as  I 
landed  at  the  King's  Wharf,  shook  hands  with  a  few 
pretty  girls,  and  received  their  congratulations  on  my  safe 
return,  I  went  to  the  house  of  my  friend,  and,  without 
ceremony,  walked  into  the  drawing-room. 

"  Do  you  know,  Sir,"  said  the  footman,  "  that  Sir 
Hurricane  is  in  his  room  ?  but  he  is  very  busy,"  added  the 
man,  with  a  smile. 

"  Busy  or  not,"  said  I,  "lam  sure  he  will  see  me,"  so 
in  I  walked. 

Sir  Hurricane  was  employed  on  something,  but  I  could 
not  distinctly  make  out  what.  He  had  a  boot  between 
his  knees  and  the  calves  of  his  legs,  which  he  pressed 
together,  and  as  he  turned  his  head  round,  I  perceived 
that  he  held  a  knife  between  his  teeth. 

"  Leave  the  door  open,  messmate,"  said  he,  without 
taking  the  least  notice  of  me.  Then  rising,  he  drew  a 
large,  black,  torn  cat,  by  the  tail,  out  of  the  boot,  and 
flinging  it  away  from  him  to  a  great  distance,  which  dis- 
tance was  rapidly  increased  by  the  voluntary  exertion  of 
the  cat,  which  ran  away  as  if  it  had  been  mad,  "  There," 
said  he,  "  and  be  d — d  to  you,  you  have  given  me  more 
trouble  than  a  whole  Kentucky  farm-yard ;  but  I  shall  not 
lose  my  sleep  any  more,  by  your  d — d  caterwauling." 

All  this  was  pronounced  as  if  he  had  not  seen  me — in 
fact,  it  was  a  soliloquy,  for  the  cat  did  not  stay  to  hear  it. 
"  Ah ! "  said  he,  holding  out  his  hand  to  me,  "  how  do 
you  do  ?  I  know  your  face,  but  d — n  me  if  I  have  not 
forgot  your  name." 

"  My  name,  Sir,"  said  I,  "is  Mildmay." 

"  Ah,  Mildmay,  my  noble,  how  do  you  do  ?  how  did 
you  leave  your  father  ?  I  knew  him  very  well — used  to 
give  devilish  good  feeds — many  a  plate  I've  dirtied  at  his 
table — don't  care  how  soon  I  put  my  legs  under  it  again  j 


The  Naval  Officer  345 

— take  care,  mind  which  way  you  put  your  helm — you 
will  be  aboard  of  my  chickabiddies — don't  run  athwart 
hawse." 

I  found,  on  looking  down,  that  I  had  a  string  round  my 
leg,  which  fastened  a  chicken  to  the  table,  and  saw  many 
more  of  these  little  creatures  attached  to  the  chairs  in  the 
room ;  but  for  what  purpose  they  were  thus  domesticated 
I  could  not  discover. 

"  Are  these  pet  chickens  of  yours,  Sir  Hurricane  ? "  said 
I. 

"  No,"  said  the  admiral,  "  but  I  mean  them  to  be  pet 
capons,  by  and  by,  when  they  come  to  table.  I  finished  a 
dozen  and  a  half  this  morning,  besides  that  d — d  old  torn 
cat." 

The  mystery  was  now  explained,  and  I  afterwards  found 
out  (every  man  having  his  hobby)  that  the  idiosyncrasy  of 
this  officer's  disposition  had  led  him  to  the  practice  of 
neutralising  the  males  of  any  species  of  bird  or  beast,  in 
order  to  render  them  more  palatable  at  the  table. 

"  Well,  sir,"  he  continued,  "  how  do  you  like  your  new 
ship — how  do  you  like  your  old  captain  ? — good  fellow, 
isn't  he  ? — d — n  his  eyes — countryman  of  mine — I  knew 
him  when  his  father  hadn't  as  much  money  as  would  jingle 
on  a  tombstone.     That  fellow  owes  every  thing  to  me.     I 

introduced  him  to  the  duke  of  ,  and  he  got  on  by 

that  interest ;  but,  I  say,  what  do  you  think  of  the  Halifax 
girls  ? — nice  !  a'n't  they  ?  " 

I  expressed  my  admiration  of  them. 

"Ay,  ay,  they'll  do,  won't  they  ? — we'll  have  some  fine 
fun — give  the  girls  a  party  at  George's  Island  —  hay- 
making— green  gowns — ha,  ha,  ha.  I  say,  your  captain 
shall  give  us  a  party  at  Turtle  Cove.  We  are  going  to 
give  the  old  commissioner  a  feed  at  the  Rockingham — 
blow  the  roof  of  his  skull  off  with  champagne — do  you 
dine  at  Birch  Cove  to-day  ?  No,  I  suppose  you  are 
engaged  to  Miss  Maria,  or  Miss  Susan,  or  Miss  Isabella — 
ha,  sad  dog,  sad  dog — done  a  great  deal  of  mischief," 
surveying  me  from  head  to  foot. 


346  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

I  took  the  liberty  of  returning  him'  the  same  compliment; 
he  was  a  tall  raw-boned  man,  with  strongly  marked 
features,  and  a  smile  on  his  countenance  that  no  modest 
woman  could  endure.  In  his  person  he  gave  me  the  idea 
of  a  discharged  life-guardsman  j  but  from  his  face  you 
might  have  supposed  that  he  had  sat  for  one  of  Rubens' 
Satyrs.  He  was  one  of  those  people  with  whom  you 
become  immediately  acquainted ;  and  before  I  had  been  an 
hour  in  his  company,  I  laughed  very  heartily  at  his  jokes 
— not  very  delicate,  I  own,  and  for  which  he  lost  a  con- 
siderable portion  of  my  respect ;  but  he  was  a  source  of 
constant  amusement  to  me,  living  as  we  did  in  the  same 
house. 

I  was  just  going  out  of  the  room  when  he  stopped 
me — "I  say,  how  should  you  like  to  be  introduced  to 
some  devilish  nice  Yankee  girls,  relations  of  mine,  from 
Philadelphia  ?  and  I  should  be  obliged  to  you  to  show 
them  attention;  very  pretty  girls,  I  can  tell  you,  and 
will  have  good  fortunes — you  may  go  farther  and  fare 
worse.  The  old  dad  is  as  rich  as  a  Jew — got  the  gout 
in  both  legs — can't  hold  out  much  longer — nice  pickings 
at  his  money  bags,  while  the  devil  is  picking  his  bones." 

There  was  no  withstanding  such  inducements,  and  I 
agreed  that  he  should  present  me  the  next  day. 

Our  dialogue  was  interrupted  by  the  master  of  the 
house  and  his  son,  who  gave  me  a  hearty  welcome ;  the 
father  had  been  a  widower  for  some  years,  and  his  only 
son  Ned  resided  with  him,  and  was  intended  to  succeed 
to  his  business  as  a  merchant.  We  adjourned  to  dress 
for  dinner ;  our  bed-rooms  were  contiguous,  and  we 
began  to  talk  of  Sir  Hurricane. 

"He  is  a  strange  mixture,"  said  Ned.  "I  love  him 
for  his  good  temper ;  but  I  owe  him  a  grudge  for  making 
mischief  between  me  and  Maria ;  besides,  he  talks  balder- 
dash before  the  ladies,  and  annoys  them  very  much." 

"  I  owe  him  a  grudge  too,"  said  I,  "  for  sending  me 
to  sea  in  a  gale  of  wind." 

"  We  shall  both  be  quits  with  him  before  long,"  said 


The  Naval  Officer  347 

Ned ;  "  but  let  us  now  go  and  meet  him  at  dinner. 
To-morrow  I  will  set  the  housekeeper  at  him  for  his 
cruelty  to  her  cat ;  and  if  I  am  not  much  mistaken,  she 
will  pay  him  off  for  it." 

Dinner  passed  off  extremely  well.  The  admiral  was 
in  high  spirits ;  and  as  it  was  a  bachelor's  party,  he  earned 
his  wine.  The  next  morning  we  met  at  breakfast. 
When  that  was  over,  the  master  of  the  house  retired 
to  his  office,  or  pretended  to  do  so.  I  was  going  out 
to  walk,  but  Ned  said  I  had  better  stay  a  few  minutes ; 
he  had  something  to  say  to  me ;  in  fact,  he  had  prepared 
a  treat  without  my  knowing  it. 

"  How  did  you  sleep  last  night,  Sir  Hurricane  ? "  said 
the  artful  Ned. 

"  Why,  pretty  well ;  considering,"  said  the  admiral, 
"I  was  not  tormented  by  that  old  torn  cat.  D — n  me, 
Sir,  that  fellow  was  like  the  Grand  Signior,  and  he  kept 
his  seraglio  in  the  garret,  over  my  bed-room,  instead  of 
being  at  his  post  in  the  kitchen,  killing  the  rats  that  are 
running  about  like  coach-horses." 

"  Sir  Hurricane,"  said  I,  "  it's  always  unlucky  to  sailors, 
if  they  meddle  with  cats.  You  will  have  a  gale  of  wind, 
in  some  shape  or  another,  before  long." 

These  words  were  hardly  uttered,  when,  as  if  by 
preconcerted  arrangement,  the  door  opened,  and  in  sailed 
Mrs  Jellybag,  the  housekeeper,  an  elderly  woman,  some- 
where in  the  latitude  of  fifty-five  or  sixty  years.  With 
a  low  courtesy  and  contemptuous  toss  of  her  head,  she 
addressed  Sir  Hurricane  Humbug. 

"  Pray,  Sir  Hurricane,  what  have  you  been  doing  to 
my  cat  ?  " 

The  admiral,  who  prided  himself  in  putting  any  one 
who  applied  to  him  on  what  he  called  the  wrong  scent, 
endeavoured  to  play  off  Mrs  Jellybag  in  the  same  manner. 

"  What  have  I  done  to  your  cat,  my  dear  Mrs  Jellybag  ? 
Why,  my  dear  Madam "  (said  he,  assuming  an  air  of 
surprise),  "  what  should  I  do  to  your  cat  ? " 

"  You  should  have  left  him  alone,  Mr  Admiral  5    that 


348  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

cat  was  my  property  ;  if  my  master  permits  you  to  ill-treat 
the  poultry,  that's  his  concern ;  but  that  cat  was  mine, 
Sir  Hurricane — mine,  every  inch  of  him.  The  animal 
has  been  ill-treated,  and  sits  moping  in  the  corner  of  the 
fire-place,  as  if  he  was  dying  ;  he'll  never  be  the  cat  he 
was  again." 

"  I  don't  think  he  ever  will,  my  dear  Mrs  Housekeeper," 
answered  the  admiral,  drily. 

The  lady's  wrath  now  began  to  kindle.  The  admiral's 
cool  replies  were  like  water  sprinkled  upon  a  strong  flame, 
increasing  its  force,  instead  of  checking  it. 

"  Don't  dear  me,  Sir  Hurricane.  I  am  not  one  of  your 
dears — your  dears  are  all  in  Dutchtown — more  shame  for 
you,  an  old  man  like  you." 

"  Old  man  !  "  cried  Sir  Hurricane,  losing  his  placidity  a 
little. 

"Yes,  old  man;  look  at  your  hair — as  grey  as  a 
goose's." 

"  Why,  as  for  my  hair,  that  proves  nothing,  Mrs 
Jelly  bag,  for  though  there  may  be  snow  on  the  mountains, 
there  is  still  heat  in  the  valleys.  What  d'ye  think  of  my 
metaphor  ? " 

"Iamno  more  a  met  afore  than  yourself,  Sir  Hurricane  ; 
but  I'll  tell  you  what,  you  are  a  cock-and-hen  admiral,  a  dog- 
in-the-manger  barrownight,  who  was  jealous  of  my  poor 

torn    cat,    because ,    I    won't    say   what.      Yes,    Sir 

Hurricane,  all  hours  of  the  day  you  are  leering  at  every 
young  woman  that  passes,  out  of  our  windows — and  an 
old  man  too ;  you  ought  to  be  ashamed  of  yourself — and 
then  you  go  to  church  of  a  Sunday,  and  cry,  *  Good  Lord, 
deliver  us.' " 

The  housekeeper  now  advanced  so  close  to  the  admiral, 
that  her  nose  nearly  touched  his,  her  arms  akimbo,  and 
every  preparation  for  boarding.  The  admiral,  fearing 
she  might  not  confine  herself  to  vocality,  but  begin  to  beat 
time  with  her  fists,  thought  it  right  to  take  up  a  position ; 
he  therefore  very  dexterously  took  two  steps  in  the  rear, 
and   mounted   on  a  sofa  j   his   left  was  defended   by  an 


The  Naval  Officer  349 

upright  piano,  his  right  by  the  breakfast-table,  with  all  the 
tea-things  on  it  •,  his  rear  was  against  the  wall,  and  his  front 
depended  on  himself  in  person.  From  this  commanding 
eminence  he  now  looked  down  on  the  housekeeper,  whose 
nose  could  reach  no  higher  than  the  seals  of  her  adversary's 
watch  ;  and  in  proportion  as  the  baronet  felt  his  security, 
so  rose  his  choler.  Having  been  for  many  years  Proctor 
at  the  great  universities  of  Point-street  and  Blue-town,  as 
well  as  member  of  Barbican  and  North  Corner,  he  was 
perfectly  qualified,  in  point  of  classical  dialect,  to  maintain 
the  honour  of  his  profession.  Nor  was  the  lady  by  any 
means  deficient.  Although  she  had  not  taken  her  degree, 
her  tongue  from  constant  use  had  acquired  a  fluency 
which  nature  only  concedes  to  practice. 

It  will  not  be  expected,  nor  would  it  be  proper,  that 
I  should  repeat  all  that  passed  in  this  concluding  scene, 
in  which  the  housekeeper  gave  us  good  reason  to  suppose 
that  she  was  not  quite  so  ignorant  of  the  nature  of  the 
transaction  as  she  would  have  had  us  believe. 

The  battle  having  raged  for  half  an  hour  with  great 
fury,  both  parties  desisted,  for  want  of  breath,  and  con- 
sequently of  ammunition.  This  produced  a  gradual 
cessation  of  firing,  and  by  degrees  the  ships  separated — 
the  admiral,  like  Lord  Howe  on  the  first  of  June,  pre- 
serving his  position,  though  very  much  mauled ;  and  the 
housekeeper,  like  the  Montague,  running  down  to  join 
her  associates.  A  few  random  shots  were  exchanged  as 
they  parted,  and  at  every  second  or  third  step  on  the 
stairs,  Mrs  Margaret  brought  to,  and  fired,  until  both 
were  quite  out  of  range ;  a  distant  rumbling  noise  was 
heard,  and  the  admiral  concluded,  by  muttering  that  she 

might  go ,   somewhere,   but  the  word  died  between 

his  teeth. 

"  There,  admiral,"  said  I,  "  did  not  I  tell  you  that 
you  would  have  a  squall  ? " 

"  Squall !  yes — d — m  my  blood,"  wiping  his  face  •, 
"  how  the  spray  flew  from  the  old  beldam !  She's  fairly 
wetted  my  trousers,  by  God.     Who'd  ever  thought  that 


350  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

such  a  purring  old  b — h  could  have  shown  such  a  set  of 
claws ! — War  to  the  knife !  By  heavens,  I'll  make  her 
remember  this." 

Notwithstanding  the  admiral's  threat,  hostilities  ceased 
from  that  day.  The  cock-and-hen  admiral  found  it  con- 
venient to  show  a  white  feather ;  interest  stood  in  the 
way,  and  barred  him  from  taking  his  revenge.  Mrs 
Jellybag  was  a  faithful  servant,  and  our  host  neither 
liked  that  she  should  be  interfered  with,  or  that  his 
house  should  become  an  arena  for  such  conflicts ;  and 
the  admiral,  who  was  peculiarly  tenacious  of  undrawing  the 
strings  of  his  purse,  found  it  convenient  to  make  the  first 
advances.  The  affair  was,  therefore,  amicably  arranged 
— the  torn  cat  was,  in  consideration  of  his  sufferings, 
created  a  baronet,  and  was  ever  afterwards  dignified  by 
the  title  of  Sir  H.  Humbug ;  who  certainly  was  the  most 
eligible  person  to  select  for  god-father,  as  he  had  taken 
the  most  effectual  means  of  weaning  him  from  "  the 
pomps  and  vanities  of  this  wicked  world." 

It  was  now  about  one  o'clock,  for  this  dispute  had  ran 
away  with  the  best  part  of  the  morning,  when  Sir  Hurri- 
cane said,  "  Come,  youngster,  don't  forget  your  engage- 
ments— you  know  I  have  got  to  introduce  you  to  my 
pretty  cousins — you  must  mind  your  P's  and  Q's  with  the 
uncle,  for  he  is  a  sensible  old  fellow — has  read  a  great 
deal,  and  thinks  America  the  first  and  greatest  country  in 
the  world." 

"We  accordingly  proceeded  to  the  residence  of  the  fair 
strangers,  whom  the  admiral  assured  me  had  come  to 
Halifax  from  mere  curiosity,  under  the  protection  of  their 
uncle  and  aunt.  We  knocked  at  the  door,  and  the  admiral 
inquired  if  Mrs  M'Flinn  was  at  home ;  we  were  answered 
in  the  affirmative.  The  servant  asked  our  names.  "  Vice 
Admiral  Sir  Hurricane  Humbug,"  said  I,  "  and  Mr  Mild- 
may." 

The  drawing-room  door  was  thrown  open,  and  the  man 
gave  our  names  with  great  propriety.  In  we  walked ;  a 
tall,  grave-looking,  elderly  lady  received  us,  standing  bolt 


The  Naval  Officer 


351 


upright  in  the  middle  of  the  room  ;  the  young  ladies  were 
seated  at  their  work. 

"  My  dear  Mrs  M'Flinn,"  said  the  admiral,  "  how  do 
you  do  ?  I  am  delighted  to  see  you  and  your  fair  nieces 
looking  so  lovely  this  morning." — The  lady  bowed  to  this 
compliment — a  courtesy  she  was  not  quite  up  to — "  Allow 
me  to  introduce  my  gallant  young  friend,  Mildmay — young 
ladies,  take  care  of  your  hearts — he  is  a  great  rogue,  I 
assure  you,  though  he  smiles  so  sweet  upon  you." 

Mrs  M'Flinn  bowed  again  to  me,  hoped  I  was  very 
well,  and  inquired  "  how  long  I  had  been  in  these  parts." 

I  replied  that  I  had  just  returned  from  a  cruise,  but  that 
I  was  no  stranger  in  Halifax. 

"  Come,  officer,"  said  the  admiral,  taking  me  by  the 
arm,  "  I  see  you  are  bashful — I  must  make  you  acquainted 
with  my  pretty  cousins.  This,  Sir,  is  Miss  M'Flinn — her 
christian  name  is  Deliverance.  She  is  a  young  lady  whose 
beauty  is  her  least  recommendation." 

"  A  very  equivocal  compliment,"  thought  I. 

"  This,  Sir,  is  Miss  Jemima  ;  this  is  Miss  Temperance  ; 
and  this  is  Miss  Deborah.  Now  that  you  know  them  all 
by  name,  and  they  know  you,  I  hope  you  will  contrive  to 
make  yourself  both  useful  and  agreeable." 

"A  very  pretty  sinecure,"  thinks  I  to  myself,  "just  as 
if  I  had  not  my  hands  full  already."  However,  as  I  never 
wanted  small  talk  for  pretty  faces,  I  began  with  Jemima. 
They  were  all  pretty,  but  she  was  a  love — yet  there  was 
an  awkwardness  about  them  that  convinced  me  they  were 
not  of  the  ban  ton  of  Philadelphia.  The  answers  to  all  my 
questions  were  quick,  pert,  and  given  with  an  air  of 
assumed  consequence ;  at  the  same  time  I  observed  a  mode 
of  expression  which,  though  English,  was  not  well-bred 
English. 

"Did  you  come  through  the  United  States,"  said  I, 
**  into  the  British  territory,  or  did  you  come  by  water  ? " 

"  Oh,  by  water,"  screamed  all  the  girls  at  once,  "  and 
liked  to  have  been  eaten  up  with  the  nasty  roaches." 

I  did  not  exactly  know  what  was  meant  by  "  roaches," 


352  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

but  it  was  explained  to  me  soon  after.  I  inquired  whethei 
they  had  seen  a  British  man-of-war,  and  whether  they 
would  like  to  accompany  me  on  board  of  that  which  I 
belonged  to  ?     They  all  screamed  out  at  same  moment — 

"No,  we  never  have  seen  one,  and  should  like  to  see  it 
of  all  things.     "When  will  you  take  us  ?  " 

**  To-morrow,"  said  I,  "  if  the  day  should  prove  fine." 

Here  the  admiral,  who  had  been  making  by-play  with 
the  old  chaperon,  turned  round,  and  said  : 

"  Well,  Mr  Frank,  I  see  you  are  getting  on  pretty  well 
without  my  assistance." 

"  Oh,  we  all  like  him  very  much,"  said  Temperance  ; 
"  and  he  says  he  will  take  us  on  board  his  ship." 

"  Softly,  my  dear,"  said  the  aunt  :  "  we  must  not  think 
of  giving  the  gentleman  the  trouble,  until  we  are  better 
acquainted." 

"I  am  sure,  aunt,"  said  Deborah,  "  we  are  very  well 
acquainted." 

"  Then,"  said  the  aunt,  seeing  she  was  in  the  minority, 
"  suppose  you  and  Sir  Hurricane  come  and  breakfast  with 
us  to-morrow  morning  at  eleven  o'clock,  after  which,  we 
shall  all  be  very  much  at  your  service." 

Here  the  admiral  looked  at  me  with  one  of  his  impudent 
leers,  and  burst  into  a  loud  laugh ;  but  I  commanded  my 
countenance  very  well,  and  rebuked  him  by  a  steady  and 
reserved  look. 

"  I  shall  have  great  pleasure,"  said  I,  to  the  lady,  "  in 
obeying  your  orders  from  eleven  to-morrow  morning,  till 
the  hour  of  dinner,  when  I  am  engaged." 

So  saying,  we  both  bowed,  wished  them  a  good  morning, 
and  left  the  room.  The  door  closed  upon  us,  and  I  heard 
them  all  exclaim — "  What  a  charming  young  man  !  " 

I  went  on  board,  and  told  the  first  lieutenant  what  I  had 
done  ;  he,  very  good-naturedly,  said  he  would  do  his  best, 
though  the  ship  was  not  in  order  for  showing,  and  would 
have  a  boat  ready  for  us  at  the  dock-yard  stairs  at  one 
o'clock  the  next  day. 

I  went  to  breakfast  at  the  appointed  hour.    The  admiral 


The  Naval  Officer 


353 


did  not  appear,  but  the  ladies  were  all  in  readiness,  and  I 
was  introduced  to  their  uncle — a  plain,  civil-spoken  man, 
with  a  strong  nasal  twang.  The  repast  was  very  good  ; 
and  as  I  had  a  great  deal  of  work  before  me,  I  made  hay- 
while  the  sun  shone.  When  the  rage  of  hunger  had  been 
a  little  appeased,  I  made  use  of  the  first  belle  to  inquire  if 
a  lady  whom  I  once  had  the  honour  of  knowing,  was  any 
relation  of  theirs,  as  she  bore  the  same  name,  and  came, 
like  them,  from  Philadelphia. 

"  Oh,  dear,  yes,  indeed,  she  is  a  relation,"  said  all  the 
ladies  together  ;  "  we  have  not  seen  her  this  seven  years, 
when  did  you  see  her  last  ?  " 

I  replied  that  we  had  not  met  for  some  time  ;  but  that 
the  last  time  I  had  heard  of  her,  she  was  seen  by  a  friend 
of  mine  at  Turin  on  the  Po.  The  last  syllable  was  no 
sooner  out  of  my  mouth,  than  tea,  coffee,  and  chocolate 
was  out  of  theirs,  all  spirting  different  ways,  just  like  so 
many  young  grampuses.  They  jumped  up  from  the  table 
and  ran  away  to  their  rooms,  convulsed  with  laughter, 
leaving  me  alone  with  their  uncle.  I  was  all  amazement, 
and  I  own  felt  a  little  annoyed. 

I  asked  if  I  had  made  any  serious  lapsus,  or  said  any 
thing  very  ridiculous  or  indelicate ;  if  I  had,  I  said  I 
should  never  forgive  myself. 

"  Sir,"  said  Mr  M'Flinn,  "  I  am  very  sure  you  meant 
nothing  indelicate  ;  but  the  refined  society  of  Philadelphia, 
in  which  these  young  ladies  have  been  educated,  attaches 
very  different  meanings  to  certain  words,  to  what  you  do 
in  the  old  country.  The  back  settlements,  for  instance, 
so  called  by  our  ancestors,  we  call  the  western  settlements, 
and  we  apply  the  same  term,  by  analogy,  to  the  human 
figure  and  dress.  This  is  a  mere  little  explanation,  which 
you  will  take  as  it  is  meant.  It  cannot  be  expected  that 
'foreigners '  should  understand  the  niceties  of  our  language." 

I  begged  pardon  for  my  ignorance ;  and   assured  him 
I  would  be  more  cautious  in  future.     "  But  pray  tell  me," 
said  I,    "  what   there  was  in  my  last   observation  which 
could  have  caused  so  much  mirth  at  my  expense  ? " 
m  z 


354  Frank  Mildmay  ;  or, 

"Why,  Sir,"  said  Mr  M'Flinn,  "you  run  me  hard 
there ;  but  since  you  force  me  to  explain  myself,  I  must 
say  that  you  used  a  word  exclusively  confined  to  bed- 
chambers." 

"But  surely,  Sir,"  said  I,  "you  will  allow  that  the 
name  of  a  celebrated  river,  renowned  in  the  most  ancient 
of  our  histories,  is  not  to  be  changed  from  such  a  refined 
notion  of  false  delicacy  ?  " 

"  There  you  are  wrong,"  said  Mr  M'Flinn.  "  The 
French,  who  are  our  instructors  in  every  thing,  teach  us 
how  to  name  all  these  things  ;  and  I  think  you  will  allow 
that  they  understand  true  politeness." 

I  bowed  to  this  dictum,  only  observing,  that  there  was 
a  point  in  our  language  where  delicacy  became  indelicate  ; 
that  I  thought  the  noble  river  had  a  priority  of  claim  over 
a  contemptible  vessel ;  and,  reverting  to  the  former  part  of 
his  discourse,  I  said  that  we  in  England  were  not  ashamed 
to  call  things  by  their  proper  names  ;  and  that  we  con- 
sidered it  a  great  mark  of  ill-breeding  to  go  round  about 
for  a  substitute  to  a  common  word,  the  vulgar  import 
of  which  a  well  bred  and  modest  woman  ought  never  to 
have  known. 

The  old  gentleman  felt  a  little  abashed  at  this  rebuke, 
and,  to  relieve  him,  I  changed  the  subject,  hoping  that  the 
ladies  would  forgive  me  for  this  once,  and  return  to  their 
breakfasts. 

"Why,  as  for  that  matter,"  said  the  gentleman,  "the 
Philadelphia  ladies  have  very  delicate  appetites,  and  I  dare 
say  they  have  had  enough." 

Finding  I  was  not  likely  to  gain  ground  on  that  tack,  I 
steered  my  own  course,  and  finished  my  breakfast,  comfort- 
ing myself  that  much  execution  had  been  done  by  the 
ladies  on  the  commissariat  department,  before  the  "Po" 
had  made  its  appearance. 

By  the  time  I  had  finished,  the  ladies  had  composed 
themselves ;  and  the  pretty  Jemima  had  recovered  the 
saint-like  gravity  of  her  lovely  mouth.  Decked  in  shawls 
and  bonnets,  they  expressed  much  impatience  to  be  gone. 


The  Naval  Officer  35$ 

We  walked  to  the  dock-yard,  where  a  boat  with  a  midship- 
man attended,  and  in  a  few  minutes  conveyed  us  alongside 
of  my  ship.  A  painted  cask,  shaped  like  a  chair,  with 
a  whip  from  the  main  yard-arm,  was  let  down  into  the 
boat  ;  and  I  carefully  packed  the  fair  creatures,  two  at 
a  time,  and  sent  them  up.  There  was  a  good  deal  of 
giggling,  and  screaming,  and  loud  laughing,  which  rather 
annoyed  me ;  for  as  they  were  not  my  friends,  I  had  no 
wish  that  my  messmates  should  think  they  belonged  to 
that  set  in  Halifax  in  which  I  was  so  kindly  received. 

At  length,  all  were  safely  landed  on  the  quarter-deck, 
without  the  exposure  of  an  ancle,  which  they  all  seemed  to 
dread.  Whether  their  ancles  were  not  quite  so  small  as 
Mr  M'Flinn  wished  me  to  suppose  their  appetites  were,  I 
cannot  say. 

"  La!  aunt,"  said  Deborah,  "when  I  looked  up  in  the 
air,  and  saw  you  and  Deliverance  dangling  over  our  heads, 
I  thought  if  the  rope  was  to  break,  what  a  '  squash '  you 
would  have  come  on  us  :  I  am  sure  you  would  have 
paunched  usP 

Determined  to  have  the  Philadelphia  version  of  this 
elegant  phrase,  I  inquired  what  it  meant,  and  was  informed, 
that  in  their  country  when  any  one  had  his  bowels  squeezed 
out,  they  called  it  " paunching? 

"  Well,"  thought  I,  "  after  this,  you  might  swallow  the 
Po  without  spoiling  your  breakfasts."  The  band  struck 
up  "  Yankee  Doodle,"  the  ladies  were  in  ecstacy,  and  began 
to  caper  round  the  quarter-deck. 

"La!  Jemima,"  said  Deborah,  "what  have  you  done 
to  the  western  side  of  your  gown?  it  is  all  over 
white." 

This  was  soon  brushed  off,  but  the  expression  was  never 
forgotten  in  the  ship,  and  always  ludicrously  applied. 

Having  shown  them  the  ship  and  all  its  wonders,  I  was 
glad  to  conduct  them  back  to  the  shore.  When  I  met  the 
admiral,  I  told  him  I  had  done  the  honours,  and  hoped  the 
next  time  he  had  any  female  relatives,  he  would  keep  his 
engagements,  and  attend  to  them  himself. 


356  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

"Why,  now,  who  do  you  think  they  are?"  said  the 
admiral. 

"  Think  ! "  said  I,  "  why,  who  should  they  be  but  your 
Yankee  cousins  ? " 

"  Why,  was  you  such  a  d — d  flat  as  to  believe  what  I 
said,  eh  ?  Why,  their  father  keeps  a  shop  of  all  sorts  at 
Philadelphia,  and  they  were  going  to  New  York,  on  a  visit 
to  some  of  their  relatives,  when  the  ship  they  were  in  was 
taken  and  brought  in  here." 

"  Then,"  said  I,  "  these  are  not  the  bon-ton  of  Phila- 
delphia ? " 

"  Just  as  much  as  Nancy  Dennis  is  the  bon-ton  of  Hali- 
fax," said  the  admiral ;  "  though  the  uncle,  as  I  told  you, 
is  a  sensible  fellow  in  his  way." 

"  Very  well,"  said  I ;  "  you  have  caught  me  for  once  ; 
but  remember,  I  pay  you  for  it." 

And  I  was  not  long  in  his  debt.  Had  he  not  given  me 
this  explanation,  I  should  have  received  a  very  false  impres- 
sion of  the  ladies  of  Philadelphia,  and  have  done  them  an 
injustice  for  which  I  should  never  have  forgiven  myself. 

The  time  of  our  sailing  drew  near.  This  was  always  a 
melancholy  time  in  Halifax ;  but  my  last  act  on  shore  was 
one  which  created  some  mirth,  and  enlivened  the  gloom  of 
my  departure.  My  friend  Ned  and  myself  had  not  yet  had 
an  opportunity  of  paying  off  Sir  Hurricane  Humbug  for 
telling  tales  to  Maria,  and  for  his  false  introduction  to  my- 
self. One  morning  we  both  came  out  of  our  rooms  at  the 
same  moment,  and  were  proceeding  to  the  breakfast  parlour, 
when  we  spied  the  admiral  performing  some  experiment. 
Unfortunately  for  him,  he  was  seated  in  such  a  manner, 
just  clear  of  a  pent-house,  as  to  be  visible  from  our  posi- 
tion ;  and  at  the  same  time,  the  collar  of  his  coat  would 
exactly  intersect  the  segment  of  a  circle  described  by  any 
fluid,  projected  by  us  over  this  low  roof,  which  would  thus 
act  as  a  conductor  into  the  very  pole  of  his  neck. 

The  housemaid  (these  housemaids  are  always  the  cause 
or  the  instruments  of  mischief,  either  by  design  or  neglect), 
had  left  standing  near  the  window  a  pail  nearly  filled  with 


The  Naval  Officer  ^57 

dirty  water,  from  the  wash-hand  basins,  &c.  Ned  and 
I  looked  at  each  other,  then  at  the  pail,  then  at  the 
admiral.  Ned  thought  of  his  Maria  :  I  of  my  false  in- 
troduction. Without  saying  a  word,  we  both  laid  our 
hands  on  the  pail,  and  in  an  instant,  souse  went  all  the 
contents  over  the  admiral. 

"  I  say,  what's  this  ?  "  he  roared  out.  "  Oh,  you  d — d 
rascals  !  " 

He  knew  it  could  only  be  us.  We  laughed  so  immoder- 
ately, that  we  had  not  the  power  to  move  or  to  speak  ;  while 
the  poor  admiral  was  spitting,  sputtering,  and  coughing, 
enough  to  bring  his  heart  up. 

"  You  infernal  villains  !  No  respect  for  a  flag-officer  ? 
I'll  serve  you  out  for  this." 

The  tears  rolled  down  our  cheeks  ;  but  not  with  grief. 
As  soon  as  the  admiral  had  sufficiently  recovered  himself 
to  go  in  pursuit,  we  thought  it  time  to  make  sail.  We 
knew  we  were  discovered  ;  and  as  the  matter  could  not 
be  made  worse,  we  resolved  to  tell  him  what  it  was  for. 
Ned  began. 

"  How  do  you  do,  admiral  ?  you  have  taken  a  shower- 
bath  this  morning." 

He  looked  up,  with  his  teeth  clenched — "Oh,  it's  you, 
is  it  ?     Yes,  I  thought   it  could  be   no  one  else.     Yes, 

I  have  had  a  shower-bath,  and  be   d d  to  you ;  and 

that  sea-devil  of  a  friend  of  yours.  Pretty  pass  the  service 
has  come  to,  when  officers  of  my  rank  are  treated  in  this 
way.     I'll  make  you  both  envy  the  tom-cat." 

"  Beware  the  housekeeper,  admiral,"  said  Ned.  "  Maria 
has  made  it  up  with  me,  admiral,  and  she  sends  her  love 
to  you." 

"D— n  Maria." 

"  Oh,  very  well,  I'll  tell  her  so,"  said  Ned. 

"Admiral,"  said  I,  "  do  you  remember  when  you  sent 

the to  sea  in  a  gale  of  wind,  when  I  was  midshipman 

of  her  ?  Well,  I  got  just  as  wet  that  night  as  you  are 
now.  Pray,  admiral,  have  you  any  commands  to  the 
Misses  M'Flinn  ? " 


358  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

4'F11  tell  you  when  I  catch  hold  of  you,"  said  Sir 
Hurricane,  as  he  moved  up  stairs  to  his  room,  dripping 
like  Pope's  Lodona,  only  not  smelling  so  sweet. 

Hearing  a  noise,  the  housekeeper  came  up,  and  all 
the  family  assembled  to  condole  with  the  humid  admiral, 
but  each  enjoying  the  joke  as  much  as  ourselves.  We 
however  paid  rather  dearly  for  it.  The  admiral  swore 
that  neither  of  us  should  eat  or  drink  in  the  house  for 
three  days ;  and  Ned's  father,  though  ready  to  burst  with 
laughter,  was  forced  in  common  decency  to  say  that  he 
thought  the  admiral  perfectly  right  after  so  gross  a 
violation  of  hospitality. 

I  went  and  dined  on  board  my  ship,  Ned  went  to  a 
coffee-house ;  but  on  the  third  morning  after  the  shower, 
I  popped  my  head  into  the  breakfast  parlour,  and  said, 

"  Admiral,  I  have  a  good  story  to  tell  you,  if  you  will 
let  me  come  in." 

"  I'd  see  you  d d  first,  you  young  scum  of  a  fish 

pond.     Be  off,  or  I'll  shy  the  ham  at  your  head." 

"No,  but  indeed,  my  dear  Admiral,  it  is  such  a  nice 
story  ;  it  is  one  just  to  your  fancy." 

"Well  then,  stand  there  and  tell  it,  but  don't  come  in, 
for  if  you  do " 

I  stood  at  the  door  and  told  him  the  story. 

"  Well,  now,"  said  he,  "  that  is  a  good  story,  and  I 
will  forgive  you  for  it."  So  with  a  hearty  laugh  at  my 
ingenuity,  he  promised  to  forgive  us  both,  and  I  ran  and 
fetched  Ned  to  breakfast. 

This  was  the  safest  mode  we  could  have  adopted  to 
get  into  favour,  for  the  admiral  was  a  powerful,  gigantic 
fellow,  that  could  have  given  us  some  very  awkward 
squeezes.  The  peace  was  very  honourably  kept,  and 
the  next  day  the  ship  sailed. 


The  Naval  Officer  359 


Chapter  XXV 

They  turned  into  a  long  and  wide  street,  in  which  not  a  single  living 
figure  appeared  to  break  the  perspective.  Solitude  is  never  so  overpowering 
as  when  it  exists  among  the  works  of  man.  In  old  woods,  or  on  the  tops 
of  mountains,  it  is  graceful  and  benignant,  for  it  is  at  home ;  but  where 
thick  dwellings  are,  it  wears  a  ghost-like  aspect. — Inesilla. 

We  were  ordered  to  look  out  for  the  American  squadron 
that  had  done  so  much  mischief  to  our  trade ;  and  directed 
our  course,  for  this  purpose,  to  the  coast  of  Africa.  We 
had  been  out  about  ten  days,  when  a  vessel  was  seen  from 
the  mast-head.  We  were  at  that  time  within  about  one 
hundred  and  eighty  leagues  of  the  Cape  de  Verd  Islands. 
We  set  all  sail  in  chase,  and  soon  made  her  out  to  be  a 
large  frigate,  who  seemed  to  have  no  objection  to  the 
meeting,  but  evidently  tried  her  rate  of  sailing  with  us 
occasionally  :  her  behaviour  left  us  no  doubt  that  she  was 
an  American  frigate,  and  we  cleared  for  action. 

The  captain,  I  believe,  had  never  been  in  a  sea  fight, 
or  if  he  had,  he  had  entirely  forgotten  all  he  had  learned ; 
for  which  reason,  in  order  to  refresh  his  memory,  he  laid 
upon  the  capstan-head,  the  famous  epitome  of  John 
Hamilton  Moore,  now  obsolete,  but  held  at  that  time 
to  be  one  of  the  most  luminous  authors  who  had  ever 
treated  on  maritime  affairs.  John,  who  certainly  gives 
a  great  deal  of  advice  on  every  subject,  has,  amongst 
other  valuable  directions,  told  us  how  to  bring  a  ship 
into  action,  according  to  the  best  and  most  approved 
methods,  and  how  to  take  your  enemy  afterwards,  if 
you  can.  But  the  said  John  must  have  thought  red 
hot  shot  could  be  heated  by  a  process  somewhat  similar 
to  that  by  which  he  heated  his  own  nose,  or  he  must 
entirely  have  forgotten  "  the  manners  and  customs  in 
such  cases  used  at  sea,"  for  he  recommends,  as  a  prelude 
or  first  course  to  the  entertainment,  a  good  dose  of  red 
hot  shot,  served  up  the  moment  the  guests  are,  assembled  j 


360  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

but  does  not  tell  us  where  the  said  dishes  are  to  be 
cooked.  No  doubt  whatever  that  a  broadside  composed 
of  such  ingredients,  would  be  a  great  desideratum  in 
favour  of  a  victory,  especially  if  the  enemy  should  happen 
to  have  none  of  his  own  to  give  in  return. 

So  thought  his  lordship,  who  walking  up  to  the  first 
lieutenant,  said, 

"  Mr  Thingamay,  don't  you  think  red  hot  what-do-ye- 
call-ums  should  be  given  in  the  first  broadside  to  that 
thingumbob  ? " 

"  Red  hot  shot,  do  you  mean,  my  lord  ?" 

"  Yes,"  said  his  lordship  5  "  don't  you  think  they  would 
settle  his  hash  ? " 

"Where  the  devil  are  we  to  get  them,  my  lord?" 
said  the  first  lieutenant,  who  was  not  the  same  that 
wanted  to  fight  me  for  saying  he  was  as  clever  a  fellow 
as  the  captain :  that  man  had  been  unshipped  by  the 
machinations  of  Toady. 

"  Very  true,"  said  his  lordship. 

We  now  approached  the  stranger  very  fast,  when,  to  our 
great  mortification,  she  proved  to  be  an  English  frigate ; 
she  made  the  private  signal,  it  was  answered;  showed 
her  number,  we  showed  ours,  and  her  captain  being 
junior  officer  came  on  board,  to  pay  his  respects  and 
show  his  order.  He  was  three  weeks  from  England, 
brought  news  of  a  peace  with  France,  and,  among  other 
treats,  a  navy  list,  which,  next  to  a  bottle  of  London 
porter,  is  the  greatest  luxury  to  a  sea  officer  in  a  foreign 
climate. 

Greedily  did  we  all  run  over  this  interesting  little 
book,  and  among  the  names  of  the  new  made  commanders, 
I  was  overjoyed  to  find  my  own ;  the  last  on  the  list  to 
be  sure,  but  that  I  cared  not  for.  I  received  the  con- 
gratulations of  my  messmates  ;  we  parted  company  with 
the  stranger,  and  steered  for  the  island  of  St  Jago,  our 
captain  intending  to  complete  his  water  in  Port  Praya 
Bay,  previous  to  a  long  cruise  after  the  American 
squadron. 


The  Naval  Officer  361 

"We  found  here  a  slave  /vessel  in  charge  of  a  naval 
officer,  bound  to  England;  and  I  thought  this  a  good 
opportunity  to  quit,  not  being  over  anxious  to  serve  as 
a  lieutenant  when  I  knew  I  was  a  commander.  I  was 
also  particularly  anxious  to  return  to  England  for  many 
reasons,  the  hand  of  my  dear  Emily  standing  at  the  head 
of  them.  I  therefore  requested  the  captain's  permission 
to  quit  the  ship ;  and  as  he  wished  to  give  an  acting 
order  to  one  of  his  own  followers,  he  consented.  I  took 
my  leave  of  all  my  messmates,  and  of  my  captain,  who, 
though  an  unfeeling  coxcomb  and  no  sailor,  certainly 
had  some  good  points  about  him :  in  fact,  his  lordship 
was  a  gentleman  j  and  had  his  ship  fallen  in  with  an 
enemy,  she  would  have  been  well  fought,  as  he  had 
good  officers,  was  sufficiently  aware  of  his  own  incapa- 
bility, would  take  advice,  and  as  a  man  of  undaunted 
bravery,  was  not  to  be  surpassed  in  the  service. 

On  the  third  day  after  our  arrival,  the  frigate  sailed. 
I  went  on  board  the  slaver,  which  had  no  slaves  on  board 
except  four  to  assist  in  working  the  vessel ;  she  was 
in  a  filthy  state,  and  there  was  no  inn  on  shore,  and  of 
course  no  remedy.  Port  Praya  is  the  only  good  anchorage 
in  the  island ;  the  old  town  of  St  Jago  was  deserted,  in 
consequence  of  there  being  only  an  open  roadstead  before 
it,  very  unsafe  for  vessels  to  lie  in.  The  town  of  Port 
Praya  is  a  miserable  assemblage  of  mud  huts ;  the 
governor's  house,  and  one  more,  are  better  built,  but 
they  are  not  so  comfortable  as  a  cottage  in  England. 
There  were  not  ten  Portuguese  on  the  island,  and  above 
ten  thousand  blacks,  all  originally  slaves ;  and  yet  every 
thing  was  peaceable,  although  fresh  arrivals  of  slaves 
came  every  day. 

It  was  easy  to  distinguish  the  different  races  :  the 
Yatoffes  are  tall  men,  not  very  stoutly  built ;  most  of 
them  are  soldiers.  I  have  seen  ten  of  them  standing 
together,  the  lowest  not  less  than  six  feet  two  or  three 
inches.  The  Foulahs,  from  the  Ashantee  country,  are 
another  race ,  they  are  powerful  and  muscular,  ill-featured, 


362  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

badly  disposed,  and  treacherous.  The  Mandingoes  are 
a  smaller  race  than  the  others,  but  they  are  well  disposed 
and  tractable. 

The  island  of  slaves  is  kept  in  subjection  by  slaves  only, 
who  are  enrolled  as  soldiers,  miserably  equipped;  a  cap 
and  a  jacket  was  all  they  owed  to  art,  nature  provided  the 
rest  of  their  uniform.  The  governor's  orderly  alone 
sported  a  pair  of  trousers,  and  these  were  on  permanent 
duty,  being  transferred  from  one  to  the  other  as  their  turn 
for  that  service  came  on. 

I  paid  my  respects  to  the  governor,  who,  although 
a  Portuguese,  chose  to  follow  the  fashion  of  the  island, 
and  was  as  black  as  most  of  his  subjects.  After  a  few 
French  compliments,  I  took  my  leave.  I  was  curious  to 
see  the  old  town  of  St  Jago,  which  had  been  abandoned ; 
and  after  a  hot  walk  of  two  hours  over  uncultivated 
ground,  covered  with  fine  goats,  which  are  the  staple  of 
the  island,  I  reached  the  desolate  spot. 

It  was  melancholy  to  behold :  it  seemed  as  if  the  human 
race  were  extinct.  The  town  was  built  on  a  wide  ravine 
running  down  to  the  sea ;  the  houses  were  of  stone,  and 
handsome  ;  the  streets  regular  and  paved,  which  proves 
that  it  had  formerly  been  a  place  of  some  importance  ;  but 
it  is  surprising  that  a  spot  so  barren  as  this  island  generally 
is  should  ever  have  had  any  mercantile  prosperity.  What- 
ever it  did  enjoy,  I  should  conceive  must  have  been  anterior 
to  the  Portuguese  having  sailed  round  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope  ;  and  the  solidity  and  even  elegance  of  construction 
among  the  buildings  justifies  the  supposition. 

The  walls  were  massive,  and  remained  entire  ;  the 
churches  were  numerous,  but  the  roofs  of  them  and  the 
dwelling-houses  had  mostly  fallen  in.  Trees  had  grown 
to  a  considerable  height  in  the  midst  of  the  streets, 
piercing  through  the  pavements  and  raising  the  stones  on 
each  side  ;  and  the  convent  gardens  were  a  mere  wilder- 
ness. The  cocoa-nut  tree  had  thrust  its  head  through 
many  a  roof,  and  its  long  stems  through  the  tops  of  the 
houses  ;  the  banana  luxuriated  out  of  the  windows.     The 


The  Naval  Officer  ^3 

only  inhabitants  of  a  town  capable  of  containing  ten 
thousand  inhabitants,  were  a  few  friars  who  resided  in  a 
miserable  ruin  which  had  once  been  a  beautiful  convent. 
They  were  the  first  negro  friars  I  had  ever  seen ;  their 
cowls  were  as  black  as  their  faces,  and  their  hair  grey  and 
woolly.  I  concluded  they  had  adopted  this  mode  of  life 
as  being  the  laziest ;  but  I  could  not  discover  by  what 
means  they  could  gain  a  livelihood,  for  there  were  none  to 
give  them  anything  in  charity. 

The  appearance  of  these  poor  men  added  infinitely  to 
the  necromantic  character  of  the  whole  melancholy  scene. 
There  was  a  beauty,  a  loveliness,  in  these  venerable  ruins, 
which  delighted  me.  There  was  a  solemn  silence  in  the 
town  ;  but  there  was  a  small,  still  voice,  that  said  to  me : 
"  London  may  one  day  be  the  same — and  Paris  ;  and  you 
and  your  children's  children  will  all  have  lived  and  had 
their  loves  and  adventures  ;  but  who  will  the  wretched 
man  be,  that  shall  sit  on  the  summit  of  Primrose  Hill,  and 
look  down  upon  the  desolation  of  the  mighty  city,  as  I, 
from  this  little  eminence,  behold  the  once  flourishing  town 
ofStJago?" 

The  goats  were  browsing  on  the  side  of  the  hill,  and 
the  little  kids  frisking  by  their  dams.  "  These,"  thought 
I,  "  perhaps  are  the  only  food  and  nourishment  of  these 
poor  friars."  I  walked  to  Port  Praya,  and  returned  to  my 
floating  prison,  the  slave  ship.  The  officer  who  was  con- 
ducting her  home,  as  a  prize,  was  not  a  pleasant  man ; 
I  did  not  like  him  :  and  nothing  passed  between  us  but 
common  civility.  He  was  an  old  master's  mate,  who  had 
probably  served  his  time  thrice  over  ;  but  having  no  merit 
of  his  own,  and  no  friends  to  cause  that  defect  to  be 
overlooked,  he  had  never  obtained  promotion  :  he  there- 
fore naturally  looked  on  a  young  commander  with  envy. 
He  had  only  given  me  a  passage  home,  from  motives  which 
he  could  not  resist ;  first,  because  he  was  forced  to  obey 
the  orders  of  my  late  captain ;  and,  secondly,  because  my 
purse  would  supply  the  cabin  with  the  necessary  stock  of 
refreshments,  in  the  shape  of  fruit,  poultry,  and  vegetables, 


364  Frank  Mildmay;    or, 

which  are  to  be  procured  at  Port  Praya  ;  he  was  therefore 
under  the  necessity  of  enduring  my  company. 

The  vessel,  I  found,  was  not  to  sail  on  the  following 
day,  as  he  intended.  I  therefore  took  my  gun,  at  day- 
break, and  wandered  with  a  guide  up  the  valleys,  in  search 
of  the  pintados,  or  Guinea  fowl,  with  which  the  island 
abounds  ;  but  they  were  so  shy  that  I  never  could  get  a 
shot  at  them  ;  and  I  returned  over  the  hills,  which  my 
guide  assured  me  was  the  shortest  way.  Tired  with  my 
walk,  I  was  not  sorry  to  arrive  at  a  sheltered  valley,  where 
the  palmetto  and  the  plantain  offer  a  friendly  shade  from 
the  burning  sun.  The  guide,  with  wonderful  agility, 
mounted  the  cocoa-nut  tree,  and  threw  down  half  a  dozen 
nuts.  They  were  green,  and  their  milk  I  thought  the 
most  refreshing  and  delicious  draught  I  had  ever  taken. 

The  vesper  bells  at  Port  Praya  were  now  summoning 
the  poor  black  friars  to  their  devotion  ;  and  a  stir  and 
bustle  appeared  among  the  little  black  boys  and  girls,  of 
whose  presence  I  was  till  then  ignorant.  They  ran  from 
the  coverts,  and  assembled  near  the  front  of  the  only 
cottage  visible  to  my  eye.  A  tall  elderly  negro  man  came 
out,  and  took  his  seat  on  a  mound  of  turf  a  few  feet  from 
the  cottage  ;  he  was  followed  by  a  lad,  about  twenty  years 
of  age,  who  bore  in  his  hand  a  formidable  cowskin.  For 
the  information  of  my  readers,  I  must  observe  that  a  cow- 
skin  is  a  large  whip,  made  like  a  riding  whip,  out  of  the 
hide  of  the  hippopotamus,  or  sea-cow,  and  is  proverbial  for 
the  severity  of  punishment  it  is  capable  of  inflicting.  After 
the  executioner  came,  with  slow  and  measured  steps,  the 
poor  little  culprits,  five  boys  and  three  girls,  who,  with 
most  rueful  faces,  ranged  themselves,  rank  and  file,  before 
the  old  man. 

I  soon  perceived  that  the  hands  were  turned  up  for 
punishment  ;  but  the  nature  of  the  offence  I  had  yet  to 
learn :  nor  did  I  know  whether  any  order  had  been  given 
to  strip.  With  the  boys  this  would  have  been  supereroga- 
tory, as  they  were  quite  naked.  The  female  children  had 
on   cotton  chemises,   which  they   slowly  and   reluctantly 


The  Naval  Officer  365 

rolled  up,  until  they  had  gathered  them  close  under  their 
armpits. 

The  old  man  then  ordered  the  eldest  boy  to  begin  his 
Pater  Noster  ;  and  simultaneously  the  whipper-in  elevated 
his  cowskin  by  way  of  encouragement.  The  poor  boy 
watched  it,  out  of  the  corner  of  his  eye,  and  then  began 
"Pattery  nobstur,  qui,  qui,  qui — (here  he  received  a  most 
severe  lash  from  the  cowskin  bearer) — is  in  silly,"  roared 
the  boy,  as  if  the  continuation  had  been  expelled  from  his 
mouth  by  the  application  of  external  force  in  an  opposite 
direction — "  sancty  fisheter  nom  turn,  adveny  regnum  turn, 
fi  notun  tas,  ta,  ti,  tu,  terror,"  roared  the  poor  fellow,  as 
he  saw  the  lash  descending  on  his  defenceless  back — 

"  Terror  indeed,"  thought  I. 

"  Pannum  nossum  quotditty  hamminum  da  nobs  holyday, 
e  missy  nobs  debitty  nossa  si  cut  nos  demittimissibus 
debetenibas  nossimus  e,  ne,  nos  hem-duckam  in,  in,  in 
temptationemum,  sed  lillibery  nos  a  ma — ma — "  Here  a 
heavy  lash  brought  the  very  Oh  !  that  was  "  caret "  to 
complete  the  sentence. 

My  readers  are  not  to  suppose  that  the  rest  of  the 
class  acquitted  themselves  with  as  much  ability  as  their 
leader,  who,  compared  to  them,  was  perfectly  erudite ; 
the  others  received  a  lash  for  every  word,  or  nearly  so. 
The  boys  were  first  disposed  of,  in  order,  I  suppose, 
that  they  might  have  the  full  benefit  of  the  applicant's 
muscles ;  while  the  poor  girls  had  the  additional  pleasure 
of  witnessing  the  castigation  until  their  turn  came ;  and 
that  they  were  aware  of  what  awaited  them  was  evident, 
from  their  previous  arrangement  and  disposition  of  dress, 
at  the  commencement  of  the  entertainment.  The  girls 
accordingly  came  up  one  after  another  to  say  their  Ave 
Maria,  as  more  consonant  to  their  sex;  but  I  could  scarcely 
contain  my  rage  when  the  rascally  cowskin  was  applied 
to  them,  or  my  laughter  when,  smarting  under  its  lash, 
they  exclaimed,  "  Benedicta  Mulieribus,"  applying  their 
little  hands  with  immoderate  pressure  to  the  afflicted 
part. 


366  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

I  could  have  found  in  my  heart  to  have  wrested  the 
whip  out  of  the  hands  of  the  young  negro,  and  applied 
it  with  all  my  might  to  him,  and  his  old  villain  of  a  master, 
and  father  of  these  poor  children,  as  I  soon  found  he  was. 
My  patience  was  almost  gone  when  the  second  girl  re- 
ceived a  lash  for  her  "  Plena  Gratia."  She  screamed,  and 
danced,  and  lifted  up  her  poor  legs  in  agony,  rubbing 
herself  on  her  "  west "  side,  as  the  Philadelphia  ladies 
call  it,  with  as  much  assiduity  as  if  it  had  been  one  of 
those  cases  in  which  friction  is  prescribed  by  the  faculty. 

But  the  climax  was  yet  to  come.  A  grand  stage 
effect  was  to  be  produced  before  the  falling  of  the  curtain. 
The  youngest  girl  was  so  defective  in  her  lesson,  that 
not  one  word  of  it  could  be  extracted  from  her,  even  by 
the  cowskin ;  nothing  but  piercing  shrieks,  enough  to 
make  my  heart  bleed,  could  the  poor  victim  utter. 
Irritated  at  the  child's  want  of  capacity  to  repeat  by  rote 
what  she  could  not  understand,  the  old  man  darted  from 
his  seat,  and  struck  her  senseless  to  the  ground. 

I  could  bear  no  more.  My  first  impulse  was  to  wrest 
the  cowskin  from  the  negro's  hand,  and  revenge  the  poor 
bleeding  child  as  she  lay  motionless  on  the  ground  ;  but 
a  moment's  reflection  convinced  me  that  such  a  step  would 
only  have  brought  down  a  double  weight  of  punishment 
on  the  victims  when  I  was  gone ;  so,  catching  up  my  hat, 
I  turned  away  with  disgust,  and  walked  slowly  towards 
the  town  and  bay  of  Port  Praya,  reflecting  as  I  went  along 
what  pleasant  ideas  the  poor  creatures  must  entertain  of 
religion,  when  the  name  of  God  and  of  the  cowskin  were 
invariably  associated  in  their  minds.  I  began  to  parody 
one  of  Watts's  hymns — 

"Lord  !  how  delightful  'tis  to  see 
A  whole  assembly  worship  thee." 

The  indignation  I  felt  against  this  barbarous  and 
ignorant  negro  was  not  unmingled  with  some  painful 
recollections  of  my  own  younger  days,  when,  in  a  christian 
and  protestant  country,   the   bible   and   prayer-book  had 


The  Naval  Officer  367 

been  made  objects  of  terror  to  my  mind  ;  tasks,  greater 
than  my  capacity  could  compass,  and  floggings  in  pro- 
portion were  not  calculated  to  forward  the  cause  of 
religious  instruction  in  the  mind  of  an  obstinate  boy. 

Reaching  the  water-side,  I  embarked  on  board  of  my 
slaver;  and  the  next  day  sailed  for  England.  We  had 
a  favourable  passage  until  we  reached  the  chops  of  the 
channel,  when  a  gale  of  wind  from  the  north-east  caught 
us,  and  drove  us  down  so  far  to  the  southward  that  the 
prize  master  found  himself  under  the  necessity  of  putting 
into  Bordeaux  to  refit,  and  to  replenish  his  water. 

I  was  not  sorry  for  this,  as  I  was  tired  of  the  company 
of  this  officer,  who  was  both  illiterate  and  ill-natured, 
neither  a  sailor  nor  a  gentleman.  Like  many  others  in 
the  service,  who  are  most  loud  in  their  complaints  for 
want  of  promotion,  I  considered  that  even  in  his  present 
rank  he  was  what  we  called  a  king's  hard  bargain — that 
is,  not  worth  his  salt ;  and  promoting  men  of  his  stamp 
would  only  have  been  picking  the  pocket  of  the  country. 
As  soon,  therefore,  as  we  had  anchored  in  the  Gironde, 
off  the  city  of  Bordeaux,  and  had  been  visited  by  the 
proper  authorities,  I  quitted  the  vessel  and  her  captain, 
and  went  on  shore. 

Taking  up  my  abode  at  the  Hotel  d'Angleterre,  my 
first  care  was  to  order  a  good  dinner  ;  and  having  despatched 
that,  and  a  bottle  of  Vin  de  Beaune  (which,  by  the  by,  I 
strongly  recommend  to  all  travellers,  if  they  can  get  it, 
for  I  am  no  bad  judge),  I  asked  my  valet  de  place  how  I 
was  to  dispose  of  myself  for  the  remainder  of  the  evening  ? 

"  Mais,  monsieur?  said  he,  "  ilfaut  aller  au  spectacle? 

"  Allons"  said  I,  and  in  a  few  minutes  I  was  seated  in 
the  stage-box  of  the  handsomest  theatre  in  the  world. 

What  strange  events — what  unexpected  meetings  and 
sudden  separations  are  sailors  liable  to — what  sudden 
transitions  from  grief  to  joy,  from  joy  to  grief,  from  want 
to  affluence,  from  affluence  to  want !  All  this  the  history 
of  my  life,  for  the  last  six  months,  will  fully  illustrate. 


368  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

Chapter  XXVI 

You  will  proceed  in  pleasure  and  in  pride, 

Beloved,  and  loving  many  ;  all  is  o'er 
For  me  on  earth,  except  some  years  to  hide 

My  shame  and  sorrow  deep  in  my  heart's  core. 

Don  Juan. 

I  paid  little  attention  to  the  performance  ;  for  the 
moment  I  came  to  the  house,  my  eyes  were  rivetted  on  an 
object  from  which  I  found  it  impossible  to  remove  them. 
"  It  is,"  said  I,  "  and  yet  it  cannot  be  ;  and  yet  why  should 
it  not  ? "  A  young  lady  sat  in  one  of  the  boxes  ;  she  was 
elegantly  attired,  and  seemed  to  occupy  the  united  atten- 
tions of  many  Frenchmen,  who  eagerly  caught  her  smiles. 

"  Either  that  is  Eugenia,"  thought  I,  "  or  I  have  fallen 
asleep  in  the  ruins  of  St  Jago,  and  am  dreaming  of  her. 
That  is  Eugenia,  or  I  am  not  Frank.  It  is  her,  or  it  is  her 
ghost."  Still  I  had  not  that  moral  certainty  of  the  identity, 
as  to  enable  me  to  go  at  once  to  her,  and  address  her. 
Indeed,  had  I  been  certain,  all  things  considered,  the  situa- 
tion we  were  in  would  have  rendered  such  a  step  highly 
improper. 

"If  that  be  Eugenia,"  thought  I,  again,  "she  has 
improved  both  in  manner  and  person.  She  has  a  becoming 
embonpoint,  and  an  air  de  bon  societe  which,  when  we  parted, 
she  had  not." 

The  more  intensely  I  gazed,  the  more  convinced  was  I 
that  I  was  right;  the  immovable  devotion  of  my  eyes 
attracted  the  attention  of  a  French  officer,  who  sat  near 
me. 

"  Cest  une  joliefemme,  rfest-ce  pas,  monsieur  f" 

"  Vraiment"  said  I.     "  Do  you  know  her  name  ?  " 

"  Elle  s'appelle  Madame  de  Rosenberg." 

"  Then  I  am  wrong,  after  all,"  said  I  to  myself.  "  Has 
she  a  husband,  Sir  ?  " 

"  Pardonnez-moi,  elle  est  veuve,  mats  elle  a  un  petit  gar f on 
de  cinq  ans,  beau  comme  un  angeP 


The  Naval  Officer  369 

"  That  is  her,"  said  I  again,  reviving.  "  Is  she  a 
Frenchwoman  ? " 

"  Du  tout,  Monsieur,  elle  est  une  de  vos  compatriottes  ;  cest 
unfort  jolt  exemplaire. " 

She  had  only  been  three  months  at  Bordeaux,  and  had 
refused  many  very  good  offers  in  marriage.  Such  was 
the  information  I  obtained  from  my  obliging  neighbour  ; 
and  I  was  now  convinced  that  Madame  de  Rosenberg 
could  be  no  other  than  Eugenia.  Every  endeavour  to 
catch  her  eye  proved  abortive.  My  only  hope  was  to 
follow  the  carriage. 

When  the  play  was  over,  I  waited  with  an  impatience 
like  that  of  a  spirited  hunter  who  hears  the  hounds.  At 
last,  the  infernal  squalling  of  the  vocalists  ceased,  but 
not  before  I  had  devoutly  wished  that  all  the  wax  candles 
in  the  house  were  down  their  throats  and  burning  there. 
I  saw  one  of  the  gentlemen  in  the  box  placing  the  shawl 
over  her  shoulders,  with  the  most  careful  attention,  while 
the  bystanders  seemed  ready  to  tear  him  in  pieces,  from 
envy.  I  hurried  to  the  door,  and  saw  her  handed  into 
her  carriage,  which  drove  off  at  a  great  pace.  I  ran  after 
it,  jumped  up  behind,  and  took  my  station  by  the  side  of 
the  footman. 

"  Descender  done,  Monsieur"  said  the  man* 

"111  be  d— d  if  I  do,"  said  I. 

"  Comment  done?"  said  the  man. 

"  Tais-toi  bete"  said  I,  "  ouje  te  brulerai  la  cervelle" 

"  Vous  f- e,"  said  the  man,  who  behaved  very  well, 

and  instantly  began  to  remove  me,  vi  et  armis ;  but  I 
planted  a  stomacher  in  his  fifth  button,  which  I  knew 
would  put  him  hors  de  combat  for  a  few  minutes,  and  by 
that  time,  at  the  rate  the  carriage  was  driving,  my  purpose 
would  have  been  answered.  The  fellow  lost  his  breath — 
could  not  hold  on  or  speak — so  tumbled  off  and  lay  in 
the  middle  of  the  road. 

As  he   fell   on   dry  ground   and  was   not   an  English 
sailor,  I  did  not  jump  after  him,  but  left  him  to  his  own 
ease,  and  we  saw  no  more  of  him,  for  we  were  going  ten 
M  2  A 


370  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

knots,  while  he  lay  becalmed  without  a  breath  of  wind. 
This  was  one  of  the  most  successful  acts  of  usurpation 
recorded  in  modern  history.  It  has  its  parallels,  I  know ; 
but  I  cannot  now  stop  to  comment  on  them,  or  on  my 
own  folly  and  precipitation.  I  was  as  firmly  fixed  behind 
the  carriage,  as  Bonaparte  was  on  the  throne  of  France 
after  the  battle  of  Eylau. 

We  stopped  at  a  large  porte  cochere,  being  the  entrance 
to  a  very  grand  house,  with  lamps  at  the  door,  within  a 
spacious  court  yard ;  we  drove  in  and  drew  up.  I  was 
down  in  a  moment,  opened  the  carriage  door,  and  let 
down  the  steps.  The  lady  descended,  laid  her  hand  on 
my  arm  without  perceiving  that  she  had  changed  her 
footman,  and  tripped  lightly  up  the  stairs.  I  followed 
her  into  a  handsome  saloon,  where  another  servant  in 
livery  had  placed  lights  on  the  table.  She  turned  round, 
saw  me,  and  fainted  in  my  arms. 

It  was,  indeed,  Eugenia,  herself;  and  with  all  due 
respect  to  my  dear  Emily,  I  borrowed  a  thousand  kisses 
while  she  lay  in  a  state  of  torpor,  in  a  fauteuil  to  which 
I  carried  her.  It  was  some  few  minutes  before  she 
opened  her  eyes ;  the  man-servant,  who  had  brought 
the  lights,  very  properly  never  quitted  the  room,  but 
was  perfectly  respectful  in  his  manner,  rightly  conceiving 
that  I  had  some  authority  for  my  proceedings. 

"  My  dearest  Frank,"  said  Eugenia,  "  what  an  unex- 
pected meeting  !  What,  in  the  name  of  fortune,  could 
have  brought  you  here  ? " 

"  That,"  said  I,  "is  a  story  too  long,  Eugenia,  for  a 
moment  so  interesting  as  this.  I  also  might  ask  you  the 
same  question ;  but  it  is  now  one  o'clock  in  the  morning, 
and,  therefore,  too  late  to  begin  with  inquiry.  This  one 
question,  however,  I  must  ask — are  you  a  mother  ?  " 

"  I  am,"  said  Eugenia,  "  of  the  most  lovely  boy  that 
ever  blessed  the  eyes  of  a  parent ;  he  is  now  in  perfect 
health  and  fast  asleep — come  to-morrow,  at  ten  o'clock, 
and  you  shall  see  him." 

"  To-morrow,"  said  I,  with  surprise,  "  to-morrow, 
Eugenia  ?  why  am  I  to  quit  your  house  ? " 


The  Naval  Officer  371 

"That  also  you  shall  know,  to-morrow,"  said  she; 
"but  now  you  must  do  as  you  are  desired.  To-morrow, 
I  will  be  at  home  to  no  one  but  you." 

Knowing  Eugenia  as  I  did,  it  was  sufficient  that  she 
had  decided.  There  was  no  appeal;  so,  kissing  her 
again,  I  wished  her  a  good  night,  quitted  her,  and 
retired  to  my  hotel.  What  a  night  of  tumult  did  I 
pass !  I  was  tossed  from  Emily  to  Eugenia,  like  a  shuttle- 
cock between  two  battledores.  The  latter  never  looked 
so  lovely  ;  and  to  the  natural  loveliness  of  her  person, 
was  added  a  grace  and  a  polish,  which  gave  a  lustre  to 
her  charms,  which  almost  served  Emily  as  I  had  served 
the  footman.  I  never  once  closed  my  eyes  during  the 
night — dressed  early  the  next  morning,  walked  about, 
looked  at  Chateau  Trompette  and  the  Roman  ruins — 
thought  the  hour  of  ten  would  never  strike,  and  when 
it  did,  I  struck  the  same  moment  at  her  door. 

The  man  who  opened  it  to  me  was  the  same  whom 
I  had  treated  so  ill  the  night  before ;  the  moment  he  saw 
me,  he  put  himself  into  an  attitude  at  once  of  attack, 
defence,  remonstrance,  and  revenge,  all  connected  with 
the  affair  of  the  preceding  evening. 

"  Ah,  ah,  vous  voila  done  !  ce  netoit  pas  bienfait,  Monsieur." 

"  Oui,"  said  I,  "  tres  nettement  fait,  et  voila  encore, n 
slipping  a  Napoleon  into  his  hand. 

"  Ca  s' }  arrange  tres-joliment,  Monsieur"  said  the  man, 
grinning  from  ear  to  ear,  and  bowing  to  the  ground. 

"  Oest  Madame,  que  vous  voulez  done?" 

"  Oui,"  said  I. 

He  led,  I  followed ;  he  opened  the  door  of  a  breakfast 
parlour — "  tenez,  Madame,  voici  le  Monsieur  que  nia  renverse 
hier  au  soi" 

Eugenia  was  seated  on  a  sofa,  with  her  boy  by  her  side, 
the  loveliest  little  fellow  I  had  ever  beheld.  His  face 
was  one  often  described,  but  rarely  seen ;  it  was  shaded 
with  dark  curling  ringlets,  his  mouth,  eyes,  and  com- 
plexion had  much  of  his  mother,  and,  vanity  whispered 
me,  much  more  of  myself.     I   took  a  seat  on  the  sofa, 


372  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

and  with  the  boy  on  my  knee,  and  Eugenia  by  my  side, 
held  her  hand,  while  she  narrated  the  events  of  her  life 
since  the  time  of  our  separation. 

"  A  few  days,"  said  she,  "  after  your  departure  for  the 
Flushing  expedition,  I  read  in  the  public  prints,  that  '  if 

the  nearest  relation  of  my  mother  would  call  at  ,  in 

London,  they  would  hear  of  something  to  their  advantage.' 
I  wrote  to  the  agent,  from  whom  I  learned,  after  proving 
my  identity,  that  the  two  sisters  of  my  mother,  who,  you 
may  remember,  had  like  sums  left  them  by  the  will  of  their 
relative,  had  continued  to  live  in  a  state  of  single  blessed- 
ness ;  that,  about  four  years  previous,  one  of  them  had 
died,  leaving  every  thing  to  the  other,  and  that  the  other 
had  died  only  two  months  before,  bequeathing  all  her 
property  to  my  mother,  or  her  next  heir ;  or,  in  default 
of  that,  to  some  distant  relation.  I,  therefore,  immediately 
came  into  a  fortune  of  ten  thousand  pounds,  with  interest ; 
and  I  was  further  informed  that  a  great-uncle  of  mine  was 
still  living,  without  heirs,  and  was  most  anxious  that  my 
mother  or  her  heirs  should  be  discovered.  An  invitation 
was  therefore  sent  to  me  to  go  down  to  him,  and  to  make 
his  house  my  future  residence. 

"  At  that  time,  the  effects  of  my  indiscretion  were  but 
too  apparent,  and  rendered,  as  I  thought,  deception  justifi- 
able. I  put  on  widow's  weeds,  and  gave  out  that  my 
husband  was  a  young  officer,  who  had  fallen  a  victim  to 
the  fatal  Walcheren  fever ;  that  our  marriage  had  been 
clandestine,  and  unknown  to  any  of  his  friends :  such  was 
my  story  and  appearance  before  the  agent,  who  believed 
me.  The  same  fabrication  was  put  upon  my  grand-uncle, 
with  equal  success.  I  was  received  into  his  house  with 
parental  affection ;  and  in  that  house  I  gave  birth  to  the 
dear  child  you  now  hold  in  your  arms — to  your  child, 
my  Frank — to  the  only  child  I  shall  ever  have.  Yes, 
dear  Eugenio,"  continued  she,  pressing  her  rosy  lips  on 
the  broad  white  neck  of  the  child,  "you  shall  be  my 
only  care,  my  solace,  my  comfort,  and  my  joy.  Heaven, 
in   its   mercy,  sent  the   cherub  to  console  its  wretched 


The  Naval  Officer  2>72> 

mother  in  the  double  pangs  of  guilt  and  separation  from 
all  she  loved ;  and  Heaven  shall  be  repaid,  by  my  return 
to  its  slighted,  its  insulted  laws.  I  feel  that  my  sin  is 
forgiven  ;  for  I  have  besought  forgiveness  night  and  day, 
with  bitter  tears,  and  Heaven  has  heard  my  prayer.  '  Go, 
and  sin  no  more,'  was  said  to  me  ;  and  upon  these  terms 
I  have  received  forgiveness. 

"  You  will  no  doubt  ask,  why  did  I  not  let  you  know 
all  this  ?  and  why  I  so  carefully  secreted  myself  from  you  ? 
My  reasons  were  founded  on  the  known  impetuosity  of 
your  character.  You,  my  beloved,  who  could  brave 
death,  and  all  the  military  consequences  of  desertion  from 
a  ship  lying  at  Spithead,  were  not  likely  to  listen  to  the 
suggestions  of  prudence  when  Eugenia  was  to  be  found ; 
and,  having  once  given  out  that  I  was  a  widow,  I  resolved 
to  preserve  the  consistency  of  my  character  for  my  own 
sake — for  your  sake,  and  for  the  sake  of  this  blessed 
child,  the  only  drop  that  has  sweetened  my  cup  of  afflic- 
tion. Had  you  by  any  means  discovered  my  place  of 
abode,  the  peace  of  my  uncle's  house,  and  the  prospects 
of  my  child  had  been  for  ever  blasted. 

"  Now  then  say,  Frank,  have  I,  or  have  I  not,  acted  the 
part  of  a  Roman  mother  ?  My  grand-uncle  having  de- 
clared his  intention  of  making  me  heir  to  his  property, 
for  his  sake,  and  yours,  and  for  my  child,  I  have  preserved 
the  strict  line  of  duty,  from  which  God,  in  his  infinite 
mercy,  grant  that  I  may  never  depart. 

"I  first  resolved  upon  not  seeing  you  until  I  could  be 
more  my  own  mistress  ;  and  when,  at  the  death  of  my 
respected  relative,  I  was  not  only  released  from  any 
restraint  on  account  of  his  feelings,  but  also  became  still 
more  independent  in  my  circumstances,  you  might  be 
surprised  that  I  did  not  immediately  impart  to  you  the 
change  of  fortune  which  would  have  enabled  us  to  have 
enjoyed  the  comfort  of  unrestricted  communication.  But 
time,  reflection,  the  conversation  and  society  of  my  uncle 
and  his  select  friends,  the  care  of  my  infant,  and  the 
reading  of  many  excellent  books   had  wrought   a  great 


374  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

change  in  my  sentiments.  Having  once  tasted  the 
pleasures  of  society  among  virtuous  women,  I  vowed 
to  Heaven  that  no  future  act  of  mine  should  ever  drive 
me  from  it.  The  past  could  not  be  recalled ;  but  the 
future  was  my  own. 

"  I  took  the  sacrament  after  a  long  and  serious  course 
of  reading ;  and,  having  made  my  vows  at  the  altar,  with 
the  help  of  God,  they  are  unchangeable.  Dramatic  works, 
the  pernicious  study  and  poison  of  my  youthful  ardent  mind, 
I  have  long  since  discarded  ;  and  I  had  resolved  never  to 
see  you  again,  until  after  your  marriage  with  Miss  Somer- 
ville  had  been  solemnised.  Start  not  !  By  the  simplest 
and  easiest  means  I  have  known  all  your  movements — 
your  dangers,  your  escapes,  your  undaunted  acts  of  bravery 
and  self-devotion  for  the  sake  of  others. 

"  *  Shall  I  then,'  said  I  to  myself,  '  blast  the  prospects 
of  the  man  I  love — the  father  of  my  boy  ?  Shall  I,  to 
gratify  the  poor,  pitiful  ambition  of  becoming  the  wife  of 
him,  to  whom  I  once  was  the  mistress,  sacrifice  thus  the 
hopes  and  fortune  of  himself  and  family,  the  reward  of 
a  virtuous  maiden  ? '  In  all  this  I  hope  you  will  perceive 
a  proper  share  of  self-denial.  Many,  many  floods  of  bitter 
tears  of  repentance  and  regret  have  I  shed  over  my  past 
conduct ;  and  I  trust,  that  what  I  have  suffered  and  what 
I  shall  suffer,  wiJl  be  received  as  my  atonement  at  the 
Throne  of  Grace.  True,  I  once  looked  forward  to  the 
happy  period  of  our  union,  when  I  might  have  offered 
myself  to  you,  not  as  a  portionless  bride ;  but  I  was 
checked  by  one  maddening,  burning,  inextingishable 
thought.  I  could  not  be  received  into  that  society  to 
which  you  were  entitled.  I  felt  that  I  loved  you,  Frank  ; 
loved  you  too  well  to  betray  you.  The  woman  that  had 
so  little  respect  for  herself,  was  unfit  to  be  the  wife  of 
Francis  Mildmay. 

"  Besides,  how  could  I  do  my  sweet  boy  the  injustice 
to  allow  him  to  have  brothers  and  sisters  possessing 
legitimate  advantages  over  him  ?  I  felt  that  our  union 
never  could  be  one  of  happiness,  even  if  you  consented  to 


The  Naval  Officer  375 

take  me  as  your  wife,  of  which  I  had  my  doubts  ;  and 
when  I  discovered,  through  my  emissaries,  that  you  were 
on  the  point  of  marriage  with  Miss  Somerville,  I  felt  that 
it  was  all  for  the  best ;  that  I  had  no  right  to  complain  ; 
the  more  so  as  it  was  I  who  (I  blush  to  say  it)  had  seduced 
you. 

"  But,  Frank,  if  I  cannot  be  your  wife — and  alas !  I 
know  too  well  that  that  is  impossible — will  you  allow  me 
to  be  your  friend,  your  dear  friend,  as  the  mother  of  your 
child,  or,  if  you  please,  as  your  sister  ?  But  there  the 
sacred  line  is  drawn ;.  it  is  a  compact  between  my  God  and 
myself.  You  know  my  firmness  and  decision ;  once 
maturely  deliberated,  my  resolution  formed,  it  is  not,  I 
think,  in  man  to  turn  me.  Do  not,  therefore,  make  the 
attempt ;  it  will  only  end  in  your  certain  defeat  and  shame, 
and  in  my  withdrawing  from  your  sight  for  ever.  You 
will  not,  I  am  sure,  pay  me  so  bad  a  compliment  as  to  wish 
me  to  renew  the  follies  of  my  youth.  If  you  love  me, 
respect  me  ;  promise,  by  the  love  you  bear  to  Miss  Somer- 
ville, and  your  affection  for  this  poor  boy,  that  you  will 
do  as  I  wish  you.  Your  honour  and  peace  of  mind,  as 
well  as  mine,  demand  it." 

This  severe  rebuke,  from  a  quarter,  whence  I  least 
expected  it,  threw  me  back  with  shame  and  confusion. 
As  if  a  mirror  had  been  held  up  to  me,  I  saw  my  own 
deformity.  I  saw  that  Eugenia  was  not  only  the  guardian 
of  her  own  honour,  but  of  mine,  and  of  the  happiness  of 
Miss  Somerville,  against  whom  I  now  stood  convicted  of 
foul  deceit  and  shameful  wrong.  I  acknowledged  my 
fault,  I  assured  Eugenia  that  I  was  bound  to  her,  by 
every  tie  of  honour,  esteem,  and  love  j  and  that  her  boy 
and  mine  should  be  our  mutual  care. 

**  Thank  you,  dearest,"  said  she :  "  you  have  taken 
a  heavy  load  from  my  mind  :  henceforth  remember  we 
are  brother  and  sister.  I  shall  now  be  able  to  enjoy 
the  pleasure  of  your  society ;  and  now,  as  that  point  is 
settled,  let  me  know  what  has  occurred  to  you  since 
we  parted — the  particulars  I  mean,  for  the  outline  I 
have  had  before." 


376  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

I  related  to  her  everything  which  had  happened  to  me, 
from  the  hour  of  our  separation  to  the  moment  I  saw  her 
so  unexpectedly  in  the  theatre.  She  was  alternately 
affected  with  terror,  surprise,  and  laughter.  She  took 
a  hearty  crying  spell  over  the  motionless  bodies  of  Clara 
and  Emily,  as  they  lay  on  the  floor ;  but  recovered  from 
that,  and  went  into  hysterics  of  laughter,  when  I  de- 
scribed the  footman's  mistake,  and  the  slap  on  the  face 
bestowed  on  him  by  the  housemaid. 

My  mind  was  not  naturally  corrupt.  It  was  only  so 
at  times,  and  from  peculiar  circumstances ;  but  I  was 
always  generous,  and  easily  recalled  to  a  sense  of  my 
duty,  when  reminded  of  my  fault.  Not  for  an  empire 
would  I  have  persuaded  Eugenia  to  break  her  vow.  I 
loved  and  respected  the  mother  of  my  child ;  the  more 
when  I  reflected  that  she  had  been  the  means  of  pre- 
serving my  fidelity  to  Emily.  I  rejoiced  to  think  that 
my  friendship  for  the  one,  and  love  for  the  other,  were 
not  incompatible.  I  wrote  immediately  to  Emily,  announc- 
ing my  speedy  return  to  England. 

"Having  the  most  perfect  reliance  on  your  honour, 
I  shall  now,"  said  Eugenia,  "  accept  of  your  escort  to 
London,  where  my  presence  is  required.  Pierre  shall 
accompany  us  — he  is  a  faithful  creature,  though  you 
used  him  so  ill." 

"That,"  said  I,  "is  all  made  up,  and  Pierre  will  be 
heartily  glad  of  another  tumble  for  the  same  price." 

All  our  arrangements  were  speedily  made.  The  house 
was  given  up — a  roomy  travelling  barouche  received  all 
our  trunks ;  and,  seated  by  the  side  of  Eugenia,  with  the 
child  between  us,  we  crossed  the  Gironde,  and  took  our 
way  through  Poictiers,  Tours,  and  Orleans,  to  Paris ; 
here  we  remained  but  a  short  time.  Neither  of  us  were 
pleased  with  the  manners  and  habits  of  the  French ;  but 
as  they  have  been  so  fully  described  by  the  swarms  of 
English  travellers  who  have  infested  that  country  with 
their  presence,  and  this  with  the  fruits  of  their  labours, 
I  shall  pass  as  quietly  through  France,  as  I  hope  to  do 


The  Naval  Officer  $77 

through  the  Thames  Tunnel,  when  it  is  completed,  but 
not  before. 

Eugenia  consulted  me  as  to  her  future  residence ;  and 
here  I  own  I  committed  a  great  error,  but,  I  declare  to 
Heaven,  without  any  criminal  intention.  I  ventured  to 
suggest  that   she   should  live  in  a  very  pretty  village  a 

few  miles  from Hall,  the  residence  of  Mr  Somerville, 

and  where,  after  my  marriage,  it  was  intended  that  I 
should  continue  to  reside  with  Emily.  To  this  village, 
then,  I  directed  her  to  go,  assuring  her  that  I  should  often 
ride  over  and  visit  her. 

"  Much  as  I  should  enjoy  your  company,  Frank,"  said 
Eugenia,  "  this  is  a  measure  fraught  with  evil  to  all 
parties ;  nor  is  it  fair  dealing  towards  your  future  wife." 

Unhappily  for  me,  that  turn  for  duplicity,  which  I  had 
imbibed  in  early  life,  had  not  forsaken  me,  notwithstanding 
the  warnings  I  had  received,  and  the  promises  of  amend- 
ment which  I  had  made.  Flattering  myself  that  I  intended 
no  harm,  I  overruled  all  the  scruples  of  the  excellent 
Eugenia.  She  despatched  a  confidential  person  to  the 
village  ;  on  the  outskirts  of  which,  he  procured  for  her 
a  commodious,  and  even  elegant  cottage  ornee  ready 
furnished.  She  went  down  with  her  child  and  Pierre 
to  take  possession;  and  I  to  my  father's  house,  where 
my  appearance  was  hailed  as  a  signal  for  a  grand  jubilee. 

Clara  I  found  had  entirely  changed  her  unfavourable 
opinion  of  sea  officers,  induced  thereto  by  the  engaging  man- 
ners of  my  friend  Talbot,  on  whom  I  was  delighted  to  learn 
she  was  about  to  bestow  her  very  pretty  little  white  hand 
at  the  altar.  This  was  a  great  triumph  to  the  navy,  for  I 
always  told  Clara,  laughingly,  that  I  never  would  forgive 
her  if  she  quitted  the  service ;  and  as  I  entertained  the 
highest  respect  for  Talbot,  I  considered  the  prospects  of 
my  sister  were  very  bright  and  flattering,  and  that  she  had 
made  a  choice  very  likely  to  secure  her  happiness.  "  Rule 
Britannia,"  said  I  to  Clara  ;  "  Blue  for  ever  !  " 

The  next  morning  I  started  for  Mr  Somerville's,  where 
I  was  of  course  received  with  open  arms  ;  and  the  party,  a 


378  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

few  days  after,  having  been  increased  by  the  arrival  of  my 
father  with  Clara  and  Talbot,  I  was  as  happy  as  a  human 
being  could  be.  Six  weeks  was  the  period  assigned  by  my 
fair  one  as  the  very  shortest  in  which  she  could  get  rigged, 
bend  new  sails,  and  prepare  for  the  long  and  sometimes 
tedious  voyage  of  matrimony.  I  remonstrated  at  the 
unconscionable  delay. 

"  Long  as  it  may  appear,"  she  said,  "  it  is  much  less 
time  than  you  took  to  fit  out  your  fine  frigate  for  North 
America." 

"  That  frigate  was  not  got  ready  even  then  by  any  hurry 
of  mine,"  said  I ;  "  and  if  ever  I  come  to  be  first  lord  of 
the  Admiralty,  I  shall  have  a  bright  eye  on  the  young 
lieutenants  and  their  sweethearts  at  Blackheath,  particularly 
when  a  ship  is  fitting  in  a  hurry  at  Woolwich." 

Much  of  this  kind  of  sparring  went  on,  to  the  great 
amusement  of  all  parties ;  meanwhile,  the  ladies  employed 
themselves  in  running  up  milliner's  bills,  and  their  papas 
employed  themselves  in  discharging  them.  My  father  was 
particularly  liberal  to  Emily  in  the  articles  of  plate  and 
jewellery,  and  Mr  Somerville  equally  kind  to  Clara.  Emily 
received  a  trinket  box,  so  beautifully  fitted  and  so  well 
filled,  that  it  required  a  cheque  of  no  trifling  magnitude  to 
cry  quits  with  the  jeweller  ;  indeed  my  father's  kindness 
was  so  great,  that  I  was  forced  to  beg  he  would  set  some 
bounds  to  his  liberality. 

I  was  so  busy  and  so  happy,  that  I  had  let  three  weeks 
pass  over  my  head  without  seeing  Eugenia.  I  dreamed  of 
her  at  last,  and  thought  she  upbraided  me  ;  and  the  next 
day,  full  of  my  dream,  as  soon  as  breakfast  was  over,  I 
recommended  the  young  ladies  to  the  care  of  Talbot,  and, 
mounting  my  horse,  rode  over  to  see  Eugenia.  She 
received  me  kindly,  but  she  had  suffered  in  her  health,  and 
was  much  out  of  spirits.  I  inquired  the  reason,  and  she 
burst  into  tears.  "I  shall  be  better,  Frank,"  said  she, 
"  when  all  is  over,  but  I  must  suffer  now ;  and  I  suffer  the 
more  acutely  from  a  conviction  that  I  am  only  paying  the 
penalty  of  my  own  crime.     Perhaps,"  continued  she,  "  had 


The  Naval  Officer  379 

I  never  departed  from  virtue,  I  might  at  this  moment  have 
held  in  your  heart  the  envied  place  of  Miss  Somerville ; 
but  as  the  righteous  decrees  of  Providence  having  provided 
punishment  to  tread  fast  in  the  footsteps  of  guilt,  I  am  now 
expiating  my  faults,  and  I  have  a  presentiment  that  although 
the  struggle  is  bitter,  it  will  soon  be  over.  God's  will  be 
done ;  and  may  you,  my  dear  Frank,  have  many,  many 
happy  years  in  the  society  of  one  you  are  bound  to  love 
before  the  unhappy  Eugenia." 

Here  she  sank  on  a  sofa,  and  again  wept  bitterly. 

"I  feel,"  said  she,  "now,  but  it  is  too  late — I  feel  that 
I  have  acted  wrongly  in  quitting  Bordeaux.  There  I  was 
loved  and  respected ;  and  if  not  happy,  at  least  I  was  com- 
posed. Too  much  dependence  on  my  resolution,  and  the 
vanity  of  supposing  myself  superior  in  magnanimity  to  the 
rest  of  my  sex,  induced  me  to  trust  myself  in  your  society. 
Dearly,  alas  !  have  I  paid  for  it.  My  only  chance  of  victory 
over  myself  was  flight  from  you,  after  I  had  given  the  irre- 
vocable sentence  j  by  not  doing  so,  the  poison  has  again 
found  its  way  to  my  heart.  I  feel  that  I  love  you  ;  that 
I  cannot  have  you  ;  and  that  death,  very  shortly,  must 
terminate  my  intolerable  sufferings." 

This  affecting  address  pierced  me  to  the  soul ;  and  now 
the  consequences  of  my  guilt  and  duplicity  rushed  upon  me 
like  a  torrent  through  a  bursting  flood-gate.  I  would  have 
resigned  Emily,  I  would  have  fled  with  Eugenia  to  some 
distant  country,  and  buried  our  sorrows  in  each  other's 
bosoms  ;  and,  in  a  state  of  irrepressible  emotion,  I  pro- 
posed this  step  to  her. 

"What  do  I  hear,  my  beloved  ?  "  said  she  (starting  up 
with  horror  from  the  couch  on  which  she  was  sitting,  with 
her  face  between  her  knees),  "  what  !  is  it  you  that  would 
resign  home,  friends,  character,  the  possession  of  a  virtuous 
woman,  all,  for  the  polluted  smiles  of  an " 

"  Hold  !  hold  !  my  Eugenia,"  said  I ;  "do  not,  I  be- 
seech you,  shock  my  ears  with  an  epithet  which  you  do 
not  deserve  !  Mine,  mine,  is  all  the  guilt ;  forget  me,  and 
you  will  still  be  happy." 


380  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

She  looked  at  me,  then  at  her  sweet  boy,  who  was 
playing  on  the  carpet — but  she  made  no  answer  j  and  then 
a  flood  of  tears  succeeded. 

It  was,  indeed,  a  case  of  singular  calamity  for  a  beauti- 
ful young  creature  to  be  placed  in.  She  was  only  in  her 
three-and-twentieth  year — and,  lovely  as  she  was,  nature 
had  scarcely  had  time  to  finish  the  picture.  The  regrets 
which  subdued  my  mind  on  that  fatal  morning  may  only 
be  conceived  by  those  who,  like  me,  have  led  a  licentious 
life — have,  for  a  time,  buried  all  moral  and  religious  feel- 
ing, and  have  been  suddenly  called  to  a  full  sense  of  their 
guilt,  and  the  misery  they  have  entailed  on  the  innocent. 
I  sat  down  and  groaned.  I  cannot  say  I  wept,  for  I  could 
not  weep  ;  but  my  forehead  burned,  and  my  heart  was  full 
of  bitterness. 

While  I  thus  meditated,  Eugenia  sat  with  her  hand  on 
her  forehead,  in  a  musing  attitude.  Had  she  been  revert- 
ing to  her  former  studies,  and  thrown  herself  into  the 
finest  conceivable  posture  of  the  tragic  muse,  her  appear- 
ance would  not  have  been  half  so  beautiful  and  affecting. 
I  thought  she  was  praying,  and  I  think  so  still.  The  tears 
ran  in  silence  down  her  face 5  I  kissed  them  ofF,  and  almost 
forgot  Emily. 

"I  am  better  now,  Frank,"  said  the  poor,  sorrowful 
woman ;  "  do  not  come  again  until  after  the  wedding. 
When  will  it  take  place  ?  "  she  inquired,  with  a  trembling 
and  a  faltering  voice. 

My  heart  almost  burst  within  me,  as  I  told  her,  for  I 
felt  as  if  I  was  signing  a  warrant  for  her  execution.  I  took 
her  in  my  arms,  and,  tenderly  embracing  her,  endeavoured 
to  divert  her  thoughts  from  the  mournful  fate  that  too 
evidently  hung  over  her  ;  she  became  tranquil,  and  I  pro- 
posed taking  a  stroll  in  the  adjoining  park.  I  thought  the 
fresh  air  would  revive  her. 

She  agreed  to  this  ;  and,  going  to  her  room,  returned  in 
a  few  minutes.  To  her  natural  beauty  was  added  on  that 
fatal  day  a  morning  dress,  which  more  than  any  other 
became  her  ;  it  was  white,  richly  trimmed,  and  fashionably 


The  Naval  Officer  381 

made  up  by  a  celebrated  French  milliner.  Her  bonnet  was 
white  muslin,  trimmed  with  light  blue  ribbons,  and  a  sash 
of  the  same  colour  confined  her  slender  waist.  The  little 
Eugenio  ran  before  us,  now  at  my  side,  and  now  at  his 
mother's.  We  rambled  about  for  some  time,  the  burthen 
of  our  conversation  being  the  future  plans  and  mode  of 
education  to  be  adopted  for  the  child  ;  this  was  a  subject 
on  which  she  always  dwelt  with  peculiar  pleasure. 

Tired  with  our  walk,  we  sat  down  under  a  clump  of 
beech  trees,  near  a  grassy  ascent,  winding  among  the  thick 
foliage,  contrived  by  the  opulent  owner  to  extend  and 
diversify  the  rides  in  his  noble  domain.  Eugenio  was 
playing  around  us,  picking  the  wild  flowers,  and  running 
up  to  me  to  inquire  their  names. 

The  boy  was  close  by  my  side,  when,  startled  at  a  noise, 
he  turned  round  and  exclaimed — 

"  Oh !  look,  mamma,  look,  papa,  there  is  a  lady  and  a 
gentleman  a-riding." 

I  turned  round,  and  saw  Mr  Somerville  and  Emily 
on  horseback,  within  six  paces  of  me  j  so  still  they  stood, 
so  mute,  I  could  have  fancied  Emily  a  wax-work  figure. 
They  neither  breathed  nor  moved ;  even  their  very  horses 
seemed  to  be  of  bronze,  or,  perhaps  the  unfortunate 
situation  in  which  I  found  myself  made  me  think  them  so. 
They  had  come  as  unexpectedly  on  us  as  we  had 
discovered  them.  The  soft  turf  had  received  the  impres- 
sion of  their  horses'  feet,  and  returned  no  sound ;  and  if 
they  snorted,  we  had  either  not  attended  to  them  in  the 
warmth  of  our  conversation,  or  we  had  never  heard  them. 

I  rose  up  hastily — coloured  deeply — stammered,  and 
was  about  to  speak.  Perhaps  it  was  better  that  I  did  not  ; 
but  I  had  no  opportunity.  Like  apparitions  they  came,  and 
like  apparitions  they  vanished.  The  avenue  from  whence 
they  had  so  silently  issued,  received  them  again,  and  they 
were  gone  before  Eugenia  was  sensible  of  their  presence. 


382  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 


Chapter  XXVII 

Fare  thee  well ;  and  if  for  ever — 

Still  for  ever  fare  thee  well : 
Even  though  unforgiving,  never 

'Gainst  thee  shall  my  heart  rebel. 

Byron. 

I  was  so  stunned  with  this  contretemps,  that  I  fell  senseless 
to  the  ground  •,  and  it  was  long  before  the  kind  attentions 
and  assiduity  of  Eugenia  could  restore  me.  When  she 
had  succeeded,  my  first  act  was  one  of  base  ingratitude, 
cruelty,  and  injustice :  I  spurned  her  from  me,  and 
upbraided  her  as  the  cause  of  my  unfortunate  situation. 
She  only  replied  with  tears.  I  quitted  her  and  the  child 
without  bidding  them  adieu,  little  thinking  I  should  never 
see  them  again.  I  ran  to  the  inn,  where  I  had  left  my 
horse,  mounted,  and  rode  back  to Hall. 

Mr  Somerville  and  his  daughter  had  just  arrived,  and 
Emily  was  lifted  off  her  horse,  and  obliged  to  be  carried  up 
to  her  room. 

Clara  and  Talbot  came  to  enquire  what  had  happened. 
I  could  give  no  account  of  it  ;  but  earnestly  requested 
to  see  Emily.  The  answer  returned  was  that  Miss 
Somerville  declined  seeing  me.  In  the  course  of  this  day, 
which,  in  point  of  mental  suffering,  exceeded  all  I  had  ever 
endured  in  the  utmost  severity  of  professional  hardship,  an 
explanation  had  taken  place  between  myself,  my  father, 
and  Mr  Somerville.  I  had  done  that  by  the  impulse  of 
dire  necessity  which  I  ought  to  have  done  at  first  of  my 
own  free  will.  I  was  caught  at  last  in  my  own  snare. 
"  The  trains  of  the  devil  are  long,"  said  I  to  myself,  "  but 
they  are  sure  to  blow  up  at  last." 

The  consequence  of  the  explanation  was  my  final  dis- 
missal, and  a  return  of  all  the  presents  which  my  father 
and  myself  had  given  to  Emily.  My  conduct,  though 
blamable,  was  not  viewed  in  that  heinous  light,  either  by 
my  father  or  Mr  Somerville  ;    and  both  of  them  did  all 


The  Naval  Officer  383 

that  could  be  done  to  restore  harmony.  Clara  and  Talbot 
interposed  their  kind  offices,  but  with  no  better  success. 
The  maiden  pride  of  the  inexorable  Emily  had  been 
alarmed  by  a  beautiful  rival,  with  a  young  family,  in  the 
next  village.  The  impression  had  taken  hold  of  her  spot- 
less mind,  and  could  not  be  removed.  I  was  false,  fickle, 
and  deceitful,  and  was  given  to  understand  that  Miss 
Somerville  did  not  intend  to  quit  her  room  until  she  was 
assured  by  her  father  that  I  was  no  longer  a  guest  in  the 
house. 

Under  these  painful  circumstances,  our  remaining  any 
longer  at  the  Hall  was  both  useless  and  irksome — a  source 
of  misery  to  all. 

My  father  ordered  his  horses  the  next  morning,  and 
I  was  carried  back  to  London,  more  dead  than  alive.  A 
burning  fever  raged  in  my  blood  ;  and  the  moment  I 
reached  my  father's  house,  I  was  put  to  bed,  and  placed 
under  the  care  of  a  physician,  with  nurses  to  watch  me 
night  and  day.  For  three  weeks  I  was  in  a  state  of 
delirium  ;  and  when  I  regained  my  senses,  it  was  only  to 
renew  the  anguish  which  had  caused  my  disorder,  and 
I  felt  any  sentiment  except  gratitude  for  my  recovery. 

My  dear  Clara  had  never  quitted  me  during  my  confine- 
ment. I  had  taken  no  medicine  but  from  her  hand.  I 
asked  her  to  give  me  some  account  of  what  had  happened. 
She  told  me  that  Talbot  was  gone — that  my  father  had 
seen  Mr  Somerville,  who  had  informed  him  that  Emily 
had  received  a  long  letter  from  Eugenia,  narrating  every 
circumstance,  exculpating  me,  and  accusing  herself.  Emily 
had  wept  over  it,  but  still  remained  firm  in  her  resolution 
never  to  see  me  more — "  And  I  am  afraid,  my  dear 
brother,"  said  Clara,  "  that  her  resolution  will  not  be  very 
easily  altered.  You  know  her  character,  and  you  should 
know  something  about  our  sex ;  but  sailors,  they  say,  go 
round  the  world  without  going  into  it.  This  is  the  only 
shadow  of  an  excuse  I  can  form  for  you,  much  as  I  love 
and  esteem  you.  You  have  hurt  Emily  in  the  nicest  point, 
that  in  which  we  are  all  the  most  susceptible  of  injury. 


384  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

You  have  wounded  her  pride,  which  our  sex  rarely,  if 
ever,  forgive.  At  the  very  moment  she  supposed  you 
were  devoted  to  her — that  you  were  wrapped  up  in  the 
anticipation  of  calling  her  your  own,  and  counting  the 
minutes  with  impatience  until  the  happy  day  arrived  ;  with 
all  this  persuasion  on  her  mind,  she  comes  upon  you,  as 
the  traveller  out  of  the  wood  suddenly  comes  upon  the 
poisonous  snake  in  his  path,  and  cannot  avoid  it.  She 
found  you  locked  hand-in-hand  with  another,  a  fortnight 
before  marriage,  and  with  the  fruits  of  unlawful  love  in 
your  arms.  What  woman  could  forgive  this  ?  I  would 
not,  I  assure  you.  If  Tal — ,  I  mean  if  any  man  were  to 
serve  me  so,  I  would  tear  him  from  my  heart,  even  if  the 
dissolution  of  the  whole  frame  was  to  be  the  certain 
consequence.  I  consider  it  a  kindness  to  tell  you,  Frank, 
that  you  have  no  hope.  Much  as  you  have  and  will  suffer, 
she,  poor  girl,  will  suffer  more  j  and,  although  she  will 
never  accept  you,  she  will  not  let  your  place  be  supplied 
by  another,  but  sink,  broken-hearted,  into  her  grave. 
You,  like  all  other  men,  will  forget  this ;  but  what 
a  warning  ought  it  to  be  to  you,  that,  sooner  or  later, 
guilt  will  be  productive  of  misery  !  This  you  have  fuJly 
proved :  your  licentious  conduct  with  this  woman  has  ruined 
her  peace  for  ever,  and  Divine  vengeance  has  dashed  from 
your  lips  the  cup  which  contained  as  much  happiness  as 
this  world  could  afford  :  nor  has  the  penalty  fallen  on  you 
alone — the  innocent,  who  had  no  share  in  the  crime,  are 
partakers  in  the  punishment ;  we  are  all  as  miserable  as 
yourself.  But  God's  will  be  done,"  continued  she,  as  she 
kissed  my  aching  forehead,  and  her  tears  fell  on  my  face. 

How  heavenly  is  the  love  of  a  sister  towards  a  brother ! 
Clara  was  now  everything  to  me.  Having  said  thus  much 
to  me  on  the  subject  of  my  fault  (and  it  must  be  confessed 
that  she  had  not  been  niggardly  in  the  article  of  words), 
she  never  named  the  subject  again,  but  sought  by  every 
means  in  her  power  to  amuse  and  to  comfort  me.  She 
listened  to  my  exculpation  ;  she  admitted  that  our  meeting 
at  Bordeaux  was  as  unpremeditated  as  it  was  unfortunate ; 


The  Naval  Officer  385 

she  condemned  the  imprudence  of  our  travelling  together, 
and  still  more  the  choice  of  a  residence  for  Eugenia  and 
her  son. 

Clara's  affectionate  attention  and  kind  efforts  were  un- 
availing. I  told  her  so,  and  that  all  hopes  of  happiness  for 
me  in  this  world  were  gone  for  ever. 

"  My  dear,  dear  brother,"  said  the  affectionate  girl, 
"  answer  me  one  question.     Did  you  ever  pray  ?  " 

My  answer  will  pretty  well  explain  to  the  reader  the 
sort  of  religion  mine  was  : — 

"  Why,  Clara,"  said  I,  "to  tell  you  the  truth,  though 
I  may  not  exactly  pray,  as  you  call  it,  yet  words  are 
nothing.  I  feel  grateful  to  the  Almighty  for  his  favours 
when  he  bestows  them  on  me  ;  and  I  believe  a  grateful 
heart  is  all  he  requires." 

"  Then,  brother,  how  do  you  feel  when  he  afflicts 
you?" 

"  That  I  have  nothing  to  thank  him  for,"  answered  I. 

"  Then,  my  dear  Frank,  that  is  not  religion." 

"  May  be  so,"  said  I  •,  "  but  I  am  in  no  humour  to  feel 
otherwise,  at  present,  so  pray  drop  the  subject." 

She  burst  into  tears.  "  This,"  said  she,  "  is  worse  than 
all.  Shall  we  receive  good  from  the  hand  of  the  Lord, 
and  shall  we  not  receive  evil  ?  " 

But  seeing  that  I  was  in  that  sullen  and  untameable 
state  of  mind,  she  did  not  venture  to  renew  the  subject. 

As  soon  as  I  was  able  to  quit  my  room,  I  had  a  long 
conversation  with  my  father,  who,  though  deeply  con- 
cerned for  my  happiness,  said  he  was  quite  certain  that 
any  attempt  at  reconciliation  would  be  useless.  He  there- 
fore proposed  two  plans,  and  I  might  adopt  whichever 
was  the  most  likely  to  divert  my  mind  from  my  heavy 
affliction.  The  first  was,  to  ask  his  friends  at  the 
Admiralty  to  give  me  the  command  of  a  sloop  of  war; 
the  second,  that  I  should  go  upon  the  continent,  and, 
having  passed  a  year  there,  return  to  England,  when  there 
was  no  knowing  what  change  of  sentiment  time  and 
absence  might  not  produce   in   my  favour.     "  For,"  said 

M  2B 


386  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

he,  "  there  is  one  very  remarkable  difference  in  the  heart 
of  a  man  and  of  a  woman.  In  the  first,  absence  is  very 
often  a  cure  for  love.  In  the  other,  it  more  frequently 
cements  and  consolidates  it.  In  your  absence,  Emily  will 
dwell  on  the  bright  parts  of  your  character,  and  forget 
its  blemishes.  The  experiment  is  worth  making,  and  it 
is  the  only  way  which  offers  a  chance  of  success." 

I  agreed  to  this.  "  But,"  said  I,  "  as  the  war  with 
France  is  now  over,  and  that  with  America  will  be 
terminated  no  doubt  very  shortly,  I  have  no  wish  to  put 
you  to  the  expense,  or  myself  to  the  trouble,  of  fitting 
out  a  sloop  of  war  in  time  of  peace,  to  be  a  pleasure- 
yacht  for  great  lords  and  ladies,  and  myself  to  be  neither 
more  or  less  than  a  maitre  dy hotel:  and,  after  having  spent 
your  money  and  mine,  and  exhausted  all  my  civilities,  to 
receive  no  thanks,  and  hear  that  I  am  esteemed  at  Almack's 
only  '  a  tolerable  sea  brute  enough.'  A  ship,  therefore," 
continued  I,  "I  will  not  have;  and  as  I  think  the  con- 
tinent holds  out  some  novelty  at  least,  I  will,  with  your 
consent,  set  off." 

This  point  being  settled,  I  told  Clara  of  it.  The  poor 
girl's  grief  was  immoderate.  "  My  dearest  brother,  I 
shall  lose  you,  and  be  left  alone  in  the  world.  Your 
impetuous  and  unruly  heart  is  not  in  a  state  to  be  trusted 
among  the  gay  and  frivolous  French.  You  will  be  at  sea 
without  your  compass — you  have  thrown  religion  over- 
board— and  what  is  to  guide  you  in  the  hour  of  trial  ?  " 

"  Fear  not,  dear  Clara,"  said  I ;  "  my  own  energies 
will  always  extricate  me  from  the  dangers  you  apprehend." 

"  Alas  !  it  is  these  very  energies  which  I  dread,"  said 
Clara ;  "  but  I  trust  that  all  will  be  for  the  best. 
Accept,"  said  she,  "  of  this  little  book  from  poor  broken- 
hearted Clara ;  and,  if  you  love  her,  look  at  it  some- 
times." 

I  took  the  book,  and  embracing  her  affectionately, 
assured  her,  that  for  her  sake  I  would  read  it. 

When  I  had  completed  my  arrangements  for  my  foreign 
tour,  I   determined  to  take  one  last  look  at  Hall 


The  Naval  Officer  387 

before  I  left  England.  I  set  off  unknown  to  my  family  ; 
and  contrived  to  be  near  the  boundaries  of  the  park  by 
dusk.  I  desired  the  postboy  to  stop  half  a  mile  from  the 
house,  and  to  wait  my  return.  I  cleared  the  paling  ;  and, 
avoiding  the  direct  road,  came  up  to  the  house.  The 
room  usually  occupied  by  the  family  was  on  the  ground 
floor,  and  I  cautiously  approached  the  window.  Mr 
Somerville  and  Emily  were  both  there.  He  was  reading 
aloud  j  she  sat  at  the  table  with  a  book  before  her  :  but 
her  thoughts,  it  was  evident,  were  not  there-,  she  had 
inserted  her  taper  fingers  into  the  ringlets  of  her  hair, 
until  the  palms  of  her  hand  reached  her  forehead  ;  then, 
bending  her  head  towards  the  table,  she  leaned  on  her 
elbows,  and  seemed  absorbed  in  the  most  melancholy 
reflections. 

"This,  too,  is  my  work,"  said  I;  "this  fair  flower  is 
blighted,  and  withering  by  the  contagious  touch  of  my 
baneful  hand.  Good  Heaven !  what  a  wretch  am  I ! 
whoever  loves  me  is  rewarded  by  misery.  And  what 
have  I  gained  by  this  wide  waste  and  devastation,  which 
my  wickedness  has  spread  around  me  ?  Happiness  ?  no, 
no — that  I  have  lost  for  ever.  Would  that  my  loss  were 
all !  would  that  comfort  might  visit  the  soul  of  this  fair 
creature  and  another.  But  I  dare  not — I  cannot  pray ; 
I  am  at  enmity  with  God  and  man.  Yet  I  will  make  an 
effort  in  favour  of  this  victim  of  my  baseness.  O  God," 
continued  I,  "if  the  prayers  of  an  outcast  like  me  can 
find  acceptance,  not  for  myself,  but  for  her,  I  ask  that 
peace  which  the  world  cannot  give  ;  shower  down  thy 
blessings  upon  her,  alleviate  her  sorrows,  and  erase  from 
her  memory  the  existence  of  such  a  being  as  myself. 
Let  not  my  hateful  image  hang  as  a  blight  upon  her 
beauteous  frame." 

Emily  resumed  her  book,  when  her  father  had  ceased 
reading  aloud ;  and  I  saw  her  wipe  a  tear  from  her  cheek. 

The  excitement  occasioned  by  this  scene,  added  to  my 
previous  illness,  from  the  effects  of  which  I  had  not 
sufficiently   recovered,   caused   a   faintness ;    I   sat    down 


388  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

under  the  window,  in  hopes  that  it  would  pass  off.  It  did 
not,  however ;  for  I  fell,  and  lay  on  the  turf  in  a  state  of 
insensibility,  which  must  have  lasted  nearly  half  an  hour. 
I  afterwards  learned  from  Clara,  that  Emily  had  opened 
the  window,  it  being  a  French  one,  to  walk  out  and 
recover  herself.  By  the  bright  moon-light,  she  perceived 
me  lying  on  the  ground.  Her  first  idea  was,  that  I  had 
committed  suicide ;  and,  with  this  impression,  she  shut  the 
window,  and  tottering  to  the  back  part  of  the  room, 
fainted.  Her  father  ran  to  her  assistance,  and  she  fell  into 
his  arms.  She  was  taken  up  to  her  room,  and  consigned 
to  the  care  of  her  woman,  who  put  her  to  bed ;  but  she 
was  unable  to  give  any  account  of  herself,  or  the  cause  of 
her  disorder,  until  the  following  day. 

For  my  own  part,  I  gradually  came  to  my  senses,  and 
with  difficulty  regained  my  chaise,  the  driver  of  which  told 
me  I  had  been  gone  about  an  hour.  I  drove  off  to  town, 
wholly  unaware  that  I  had  been  observed  by  any  one, 
much  less  by  Emily.  When  she  related  to  her  father 
what  she  had  seen,  he  either  disbelieved  or  affected  to 
disbelieve  it,  and  treated  it  as  the  effects  of  a  distempered 
mind,  the  phantoms  of  a  disordered  imagination ;  and  she 
at  length  began  to  coincide  with  him. 

I  started  for  the  continent  a  few  days  afterwards. 
Talbot,  who  had  seen  little  of  Clara  since  my  rejection  by 
Emily,  and  subsequent  illness,  offered  my  father  to  ac- 
company me  ;  and  Clara  was  anxious  that  he  should  go,  as 
she  was  determined  not  to  listen  to  any  thing  he  could  say 
during  my  affliction ;  she  could  not,  she  said,  be  happy 
while  I  was  miserable,  and  gave  him  no  opportunity  of 
conversing  with  her  on  the  subject  of  their  union. 

We  arrived  at  Paris  j  but  so  abstracted  was  I  in  thought, 
that  I  neither  saw  nor  heard  any  thing.  Every  attention 
of  Talbot  was  lost  upon  me.  I  continued  in  my  sullen 
stupor,  and  forgot  to  read  the  little  book  which  dear  Clara 
had  given,  and  which,  for  her  sake,  I  had  promised  to 
read.  I  wrote  to  Eugenia  on  my  arrival ;  and  disburdened 
my  mind  in  some  measure,  by  acknowledging  my  shameful 


The  Naval  Officer  389 

treatment  of  her.  I  implored  her  pardon  ;  and,  by  return 
of  post,  received  it,  Her  answer  was  affectionate  and 
consoling ;  but  she  stated  that  her  spirits,  of  course,  were 
low,  and  her  health  but  indifferent. 

For  many  days  my  mind  remained  in  a  state  of  listless 
inanity ;  and  Talbot  applied,  or  suffered  others  to  apply, 
the  most  pernicious  stimulant  that  could  be  thought  of  to 
rouse  me  to  action.  Taking  a  quiet  walk  with  him,  we 
met  some  friends  of  his ;  and,  at  their  request,  we  agreed 
to  go  to  the  saloons  of  the  Palais  Royal.  This  was  a 
desperate  remedy,  and  by  a  miracle  only  was  I  saved  from 
utter  and  irretrievable  ruin.  How  many  of  my  country- 
men have  fallen  victims  to  the  arts  practised  in  that  horible 
school  of  vice,  I  dare  not  say  !  Happy  should  I  be  to  think 
that  the  infection  had  not  reached  our  own  shores,  and 
found  patrons  among  the  great  men  of  the  land.  They 
have,  however,  both  felt  the  consequences,  and  been  fore- 
warned of  the  danger.  They  have  no  excuse :  mine  was, 
that  I  had  been  excluded  from  the  society  of  those  I  loved. 
Always  living  by  excitement,  was  it  surprising  that,  when 
a  gaming-table  displayed  its  hoards  before  me,  I  should 
have  fallen  at  once  into  the  snare  ? 

For  the  first  time  since  my  illness,  I  became  interested, 
and  laid  down  my  money  on  those  abhorred  tables.  My 
success  was  variable ;  but  I  congratulated  myself  that  at 
length  I  had  found  a  stimulus  ;  and  I  anxiously  awaited  the 
return  of  the  hour  when  the  doors  would  again  be  opened, 
and  the  rooms  lighted  up  for  the  reception  of  company.  I 
won  considerably  ;  and  night  after  night  found  me  at  the 
table — for  avarice  is  insatiable  ;  but  my  good  luck  left  me : 
and  then  the  same  motive  induced  me  to  return,  with  the 
hope  of  winning  back  what  I  had  lost. 

Still  fortune  was  unpropitious,  and  I  lost  very  consider- 
able sums.  I  became  desperate  ;  and  drew  largely  on  my 
father.  He  wrote  to  beg  that  I  would  be  more  moderate ; 
as  twice  his  income  would  not  support  such  an  expenditure. 
He  wrote  also  to  Talbot,  who  informed  him  in  what  man- 
ner the  money  had  been  expended ;  and  that  he  had  in  vain 


390  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

endeavoured  to  divert  me  from  the  fatal  practice.  Finding 
that  no  limits  were  likely  to  be  put  to  my  folly,  my  father 
very  properly  refused  to  honour  any  more  of  my  bills. 

Maddened  with  this  intimation,  for  which  I  secretly 
blamed  Talbot,  I  drew  upon  Eugenia's  banker  bill  after 
bill,  until  the  sum  amounted  to  more  than  what  my  father 
had  paid.  At  length  a  letter  came  from  Eugenia.  It  was 
but  a  few  lines. 

"I know  too  well,  my  dearest  friend,"  said  she,  "  what 
becomes  of  the  money  you  have  received.  If  you  want  it 
all,  I  cannot  refuse  you  ;  but  remember  that  you  are 
throwing  away  the  property  of  your  child." 

This  letter  did  more  to  rouse  me  to  a  sense  of  my  in- 
famous conduct  than  the  advice  of  Talbot,  or  the  admonitions 
of  my  father.  I  felt  I  was  acting  like  a  scoundrel ;  and  I 
resolved  to  leave  off  gaming.  "  One  night  more,"  said  I, 
"  and  then,  if  I  lose,  there  is  an  end  of  it ;  I  go  no  more." 
Talbot  attended  me :  he  felt  he  was  in  some  measure  the 
cause  of  my  being  first  initiated  in  this  pernicious  amuse- 
ment :  and  he  watched  my  motions  with  unceasing  anxiety. 

The  game  was  rouge  et  noir.  I  threw  a  large  sum  on  the 
red.  I  won,  left  the  stake,  doubled,  and  won  again.  The 
heap  of  gold  had  increased  to  a  large  size,  and  still  remained 
to  abide  the  chance  of  the  card.  Again,  again,  and  again, 
it  was  doubled.  Seven  times  had  the  red  card  been  turned 
up  ;  and  seven  times  had  my  gold  been  doubled.  Talbot, 
who  stood  behind  me,  implored  and  begged  me  earnestly 
to  leave  off. 

"  What  may  be  the  consequence  of  one  card  against  you  ? 
Trust  no  more  to  fortune  \  be  content  with  what  you  have 
got." 

"That,"  muttered  I,  "Talbot,  is  of  no  use;  I  must 
have  more." 

Again  came  up  the  red,  to  the  astonishment  of  the  by- 
standers ;  and  to  their  still  greater  astonishment,  my  gold, 
which  had  increased  to  an  enormous  heap,  still  remained  on 
the  table.  Talbot  again  entreated  me  not  to  tempt  fortune 
foolishly. 


The  Naval  Officer  391 

*'  Folly/*  said  I,  "  Talbot,  has  already  been  committed  ; 
and  one  more  card  will  do  the  business.  It  must  be 
done." 

The  bankers  knowing,  after  eight  red  cards  had  been 
turned  up,  how  great  the  chance  was  of  regaining  all  their 
losses  by  a  double  or  quits,  agreed  to  the  ninth  card. 
Talbot  trembled  like  a  leaf.  The  card  was  turned;  it 
came  up  red,  and  the  bank  was  broke. 

Here  all  play  ceased  for  that  night.  The  losers,  of 
course,  vented  their  feelings  in  the  most  blasphemous 
execrations ;  while  I  quietly  collected  all  my  winnings, 
and  returned  home  in  a  fiacre,  with  Talbot,  who  took  the 
precaution  of  requesting  the  attendance  of  two  gens 
d'armes.     These  were  each  rewarded  with  a  Napoleon. 

"Now,  Talbot,"  said  I,  "I  solemnly  swear,  as  I  hope 
to  go  to  heaven,  never  to  play  again."  And  this  promise 
I  have  most  religiously  kept.  My  good  fortune  was  one 
instance  in  ten  thousand,  among  those  who  have  been 
ruined  in  that  house.  The  next  morning  I  refunded  all  I 
had  drawn  upon  Eugenia,  and  all  my  father  had  supplied 
me  with,  and  there  still  remained  a  considerable  residue. 

Determined  not  to  continue  in  this  vortex  of  dissipation 
any  longer,  where  my  resolution  was  hourly  put  to  the 
test,  Talbot  and  myself  agreed  to  travel  down  to  Brest,  an 
arsenal  we  were  both  desirous  of  seeing. 


Chapter    XXVIII 

Pal.  Thou  art  a  traitor,  Arcite,  and  a  fellow 
False  as  thy  title  to  her.     Friendship,  blood, 
And  all  the  ties  between  us,  I  disclaim. 

Arc.  You  are  mad. 

Pal.  I  must  be, 
Till  thou  art  worthy,  Arcite ;  it  concerns  me ! 
And,  in  this  madness,  if  I  hazard  thee 
And  take  thy  life,  I  deal  but  truly. 

Arc.  Fie,  Sir  !  Tivo  Nolle  Kinsmen. 

We  quitted  Paris  two  days  after ;  and  a  journey  of  three 
days,  through  an  uninteresting  country,  brought  us  to  the 


392  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

little  town  of  Granville,  on  the  sea-coast,  in  the  channel. 
We  remained  at  this  delightful  place  some  days ;  and  our 
letters  being  regularly  forwarded  to  us,  brought  us  intelli- 
gence from  England.  My  father  expressed  his  astonish- 
ment at  my  returning  the  money  drawn  for ;  and  trusted, 
unaccountable  as  the  restitution  appeared,  that  I  was  not 
offended,  and  would  consider  him  my  banker,  as  far  as  his 
expenditure  and  style  of  living  would  permit  him  to 
advance. 

Eugenia,  in  her  letters,  reproached  herself  for  having 
written  to  me  ;  and  concluded  that  I  had  drawn  so  largely 
upon  her,  merely  to  prove  her  sincerity.  She  assured  me 
that  her  caution  to  me  was  not  dictated  by  selfishness,  but 
from  a  consideration  for  the  child. 

Clara's  letter  informed  me  that  every  attempt,  even  to 
servility,  had  been  made,  in  order  to  induce  Emily  to  alter 
her  determination,  but  without  success  ;  and  that  a  cool- 
ness had,  in  consequence,  taken  place,  and  almost  an  entire 
interruption  of  the  intimacy  between  the  families.  She 
also  added,  "I  am  afraid  that  your  friend  is  even  worse 
than  yourself;  for  I  understand  that  he  is  engaged  to 
another  woman,  and  has  been  so  for  years.  Now,  as  I 
must  consider  that  the  great  tie  of  your  intimacy  is  his 
supposed  partiality  to  me,  and  as  I  conceive  you  are  under 
a  false  impression  with  respect  to  his  sincerity,  I  think  it 
my  duty  to  make  you  acquainted  with  all  I  know.  It  is 
impossible  that  you  can  esteem  the  man  who  has  trifled 
with  the  feelings  of  your  sister ;  and  I  sincerely  hope  that 
the  next  letter  from  you  will  inform  me  of  your  having 
separated." 

How  little  did  poor  Clara  think,  when  she  wrote  this 
letter,  of  the  consequences  likely  to  arise  from  it ;  that 
in  thus  venting  her  complaints,  she  was  exploding  a  mine 
which  was  to  produce  results  ten  times  more  fatal  than  any 
thing  which  had  yet  befallen  us  ? 

I  was  at  this  period  in  a  misanthropic  state  of  mind, 
hating  myself  and  every  one  about  me.  The  company  of 
Talbot  had  long  been  endured,  not  enjoyed  ;  and  I  would 


The  Naval  Officer  393 

gladly  have  availed  myself  of  any  plausible  excuse  for  a 
separation.  True,  he  was  my  friend,  had  proved  himself 
so;  but  I  was  in  no  humour  to  acknowledge  favours. 
Discarded  by  her  I  loved,  I  discarded  every  one  else. 
Talbot  was  a  log  and  a  chain,  and  I  thought  I  could  not 
get  rid  of  him  too  soon.  This  letter,  therefore,  gave  me 
a  fair  opportunity  of  venting  my  spleen ;  but  instead  of  a 
cool  dismissal,  as  Clara  requested,  I  determined  to  dismiss 
him  or  myself  to  another  world. 

Having  finished  reading  my  letter,  I  laid  it  down,  and 
made  no  observation.  Talbot,  with  his  usual  kind  and 
benevolent  countenance,  inquired  if  I  had  any  news  ? 
"  Yes,"  I  replied,  "  I  have  discovered  that  you  are  a 
villain ! " 

"  That  is  news,  indeed,"  said  he ;  "  and  strange  that 
the  brother  of  Clara  should  have  been  the  messenger  to 
convey  it ;  but  this  is  language,  Frank,  which  not  even 
your  unhappy  state  of  mind  can  excuse.  Retract  your 
words." 

"  I  repeat  them,"  said  I.  '*  You  have  trifled  with  my 
sister,  and  are  a  villain."  (Had  this  been  true,  it  was  no 
more  than  I  had  done  myself;  but  my  victims  had  no 
brothers  to  avenge  their  wrongs.) 

"  The  name  of  Clara,"  replied  Talbot,  "  calms  me ; 
believe  me,  Frank,  you  are  mistaken.  I  love  her,  and 
have  always  had  the  most  honourable  intentions  towards 
her." 

"  Yes,"  said  I,  with  a  sarcastic  sneer,  "  at  the  time 
that  you  have  been  engaged  to  another  woman  for  years. 
To  one  or  the  other  you  must  acknowledge  yourself  a 
scoundrel :  I  do  not,  therefore,  withdraw  my  appellation, 
but  repeat  it ;  and  as  you  seem  so  very  patient  under 
injuries,  I  inform  you  that  you  must  either  meet  me  on 
the  sands  this  evening,  or  consent  to  be  stigmatised  with 
another  name  still  more  revolting  to  the  feelings  of  an 
Englishman." 

"  Enough,  enough,  Frank,"  said  Talbot,  with  a  face, 
in  which  conscious  innocence  and  manly  fortitude  were 


394  Frank  Mildmay,  or, 

blended ;  "  you  have  said  more  than  I  ever  expected  to 
have  heard  from  you,  and  more  than  the  customs  of  the 
world  will  allow  me  to  put  up  with.  What  must  be, 
must ;  but  I  still  tell  you,  Frank,  that  you  are  wrong — 
that  you  are  fatally  deluded,  and  that  you  will  bitterly 
repent  the  follies  of  this  day.  It  is  yourself  with  whom 
you  are  angry,  and  you  are  venting  that  anger  on  your 
friend." 

The  words  were  thrown  away  on  me.  I  felt  a  secret 
malignant  pleasure,  which  blindly  impelled  me  forward, 
with  the  certainty  of  glutting  my  revenge,  by  either 
destroying  or  being  destroyed.  My  sole  preparation  for 
this  dreadful  conflict  was  my  pistols ;  no  other  did  I  think 
of,  not  even  the  chances  of  sending  my  friend  and  fellow- 
mortal,  or  going  myself  into  the  presence  of  an  Almighty 
judge.  My  mind  was  absorbed  in  secret  pleasure,  at  the 
idea  of  that  acute  misery  which  Emily  would  suffer  if  I 
fell  by  the  hand  of  Talbot. 

I  repaired  to  the  rendezvous,  where  I  found  Talbot 
waiting.     He  came  up  to  me,  and  again  said,     - 

"  Frank,  I  call  heaven  to  witness  that  you  are  mistaken. 
You  are  wrong.  Suspend  your  opinion,  at  least,  if  you 
will  not  recall  your  words." 

Totally  possessed  by  the  devil,  and  not  to  be  convinced, 
till  too  late,  I  replied  to  his  peaceful  overture  by  the 
most  insulting  irony  :  "  You  were  not  afraid  to  fire  at 
a  poor  boy  in  the  water,"  said  I,  "  though  you  do  not 
like  to  stand  a  shot  in  return.  Come,  come,  take  your 
ground,  be  a  man,  stand  up,  don't  be  afraid." 

"  For  myself,"  said  Talbot,  with  a  firm  and  placid 
resignation  of  countenance,  "  I  have  no  fears  ;  but  for  you, 
Frank,  I  have  great  cause  of  alarm  :  "  so  saying,  he  snatched 
up  the  loaded  pistol  which  I  threw  down  to  him. 

We  had  no  seconds  ;  nor  was  there  any  person  in  sight. 
It  was  a  bright  moonlight,  and  we  walked  to  the  water's 
edge,  where  the  reflux  of  the  tide  had  left  the  sand  firm 
to  the  tread.  Here  we  stood  back  to  back.  The  usual 
distance  was  fourteen  paces.     Talbot  refused  to  measure 


The  Naval  Officer  395 

his,  but  stood  perfectly  still.  I  walked  ten  paces,  and 
turned  round,  "  Ready,"  said  I  in  a  low  voice. 

We  both  raised  our  arms  ;  but  Talbot,  instantly  dropping 
the  muzzle  of  his  pistol,  said,  *'  I  cannot  fire  at  the  brother 
of  Clara." 

"  I  can  at  her  insulter,"  answered  I ;  and,  taking  de- 
liberate aim,  fired,  and  my  ball  entered  his  side.  He 
bounded,  gave  a  half  turn  round  in  the  air,  and  fell  on  his 
face  to  the  ground. 

How  sudden  are  the  transitions  of  the  human  mind  ! 
how  close  does  remorse  follow  the  gratification  of  revenge  ! 
The  veil  dropped  from  my  eyes  ;  I  saw  in  an  instant  the 
false  medium,  the  deceitful  vision  which  had  thus  allured 
me  into  what  the  world  calls  "  an  affair  of  honour." 
"  Honour,"  good  heaven !  had  made  me  a  murderer, 
and  the  voice  of  my  brother's  blood  cried  out  for  venge- 
ance. 

The  manly  and  athletic  form,  which  one  minute  before 
excited  my  most  malignant  hatred,  when  now  prostrate 
and  speechless,  became  an  object  of  frantic  affection.  I  ran 
to  Talbot,  and  when  it  was  too  late  perceived  the  mischief 
I  had  done.  Murder,  cruelty,  injustice,  and,  above  all,  the 
most  detestable  ingratitude,  flashed  at  once  into  my  over- 
crowded imagination.  I  turned  the  body  round,  and  tried 
to  discover  if  there  were  any  signs  of  life.  A  small  stream 
of  blood  ran  from  his  side,  and,  about  two  feet  from  him, 
was  lost  in  the  absorbing  sand ;  while  from  the  violence  of 
his  fall  the  sand  had  filled  his  mouth  and  nostrils.  I 
cleaned  them  out ;  and,  staunching  the  wound  with  my 
handkerchief,  for  the  blood  flowed  copiously  at  every 
respiration,  I  sat  on  the  sea-shore  by  his  side,  supporting 
him  in  my  arms.  I  only  exclaimed,  "  Would  to  God  the 
shark,  the  poison,  the  sword  of  the  enemy,  or  the  precipice 
of  Trinidad  had  destroyed  me  before  this  fatal  hour." 

Talbot  opened  his  languid  eyes,  and  fixed  them  on  me 
with  a  glassy  stare  ;  but  he  did  not  speak.  Suddenly, 
recollection  seemed  for  a  moment  to  return — he  recognised 
me,  and,  O  God,  his  look  of  kindness  pierced  my  heart. 


396  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

He  made  several  efforts  to   speak,  and  at  last  said,  in 
broken  accents,  and  at  long  and  painful  intervals, 

"  Look  at  letter — writing-desk — read  all — explain — God 
bless "     His  head  fell  back,  and  he  was  dead. 

Oh,  how  I  envied  him !  Had  he  been  ten  thousand 
times  more  guilty  than  I  had  ever  supposed  him,  it  would 
have  given  no  comfort  to  my  mind.  I  had  murdered  him, 
and  too  late  I  acknowledged  his  innocence.  I  know  not 
why,  and  can  scarcely  tell  how  I  did  it,  but  I  took  off  my 
neckcloth,  and  bound  it  tightly  round  his  waist,  over  the 
wound.  The  blood  ceased  to  flow.  I  left  the  body,  and 
returned  to  our  lodging,  in  a  state  of  mental  prostration 
and  misery,  proportioned  to  the  heat  and  excitement  with 
which  I  had  quitted  it. 

My  first  object  was  to  read  the  letters  which  my  poor 
friend  had  referred  to.  On  my  arrival,  both  our  servants 
were  up.  My  hands  and  clothes  were  dyed  with  blood, 
and  they  looked  at  me  with  astonishment.  I  ran  hastily 
upstairs,  to  avoid  them,  and  took  the  writing-desk,  the  key 
of  which  I  knew  hung  to  his  watch-chain.  Seizing  the 
poker,  I  split  it  open,  and  took  out  the  packet  he  men- 
tioned.    At  this  moment  his  servant  entered  the  room. 

"  Et  mon  maitre,  Monsieur,  ou  est-H?  " 

"  I  have  murdered  him,"  said  I,  "  and  you  will  find  him 
in  the  sands,  near  the  signal-post ;  and,"  continued  I,  "  I 
am  now  robbing  him  !  " 

My  appearance  and  actions  seemed  to  prove  the  truth  of 
my  assertion.  The  man  flew  out  of  the  room  ;  but  I  was 
regardless  of  everything,  and  even  wonder  why  I  should 
have  given  my  attention  to  the  letters  at  all,  especially  as  I 
had  now  convinced  myself  of  Talbot's  innocence.  The 
packet,  however,  I  did  read  ;  and  it  consisted  of  a  series 
of  letters  between  Talbot  and  his  father,  who  had  engaged 
him  to  a  young  lady  of  rank  and  fortune,  without  consulting 
him — une  mariage  de  convenance — which  Talbot  had  resisted 
in  consequence  of  his  attachment  to  Clara. 

I  have  already  stated  that  Talbot  was  of  high  aristocratic 
family  5  and  this  marriage  being  wished  for  by  the  parents 


The  Naval  Officer 


397 


of  both  parties,  they  had  given  it  out  as  being  finally- 
settled  to  take  place  on  the  return  of  Talbot  to  England. 
In  the  last  letter,  the  father  had  yielded  to  his  entreaties  in 
favour  of  Clara ;  only  requesting  him  not  to  be  precipitate 
in  offering  himself,  as  he  wished  to  find  some  excuse  for 
breaking  off  the  match  ;  and,  above  all,  he  fatally  enjoined 
profound  secrecy  till  the  affair  was  arranged.  Here,  then, 
was  everything  explained.  Indeed,  before  I  had  read 
these  letters,  my  mind  did  not  need  this  damning  proof  of 
his  innocence  and  my  guilt. 

Just  as  I  had  finished  reading,  the  gens  cfarmes  entered  my 
room,  and,  with  the  officers  of  justice,  led  me  away  to 
prison.  I  walked  mechanically.  I  was  conducted  to  a 
small  building  in  the  centre  of  a  square.  This  was  a 
cachoty  with  an  iron-grated  window  on  each  of  its  four  sides, 
but  without  glass.  There  was  no  bench,  or  table,  or  any- 
thing but  the  bare  walls  and  the  pavement.  The  wind 
blew  sharply  through.  I  had  not  even  a  great-coat ;  but  I 
felt  no  cold  or  personal  inconvenience,  for  my  mind  was  too 
much  occupied  by  superior  misery.  The  door  closed  on 
me,  and  I  heard  the  bolts  turn.  There  was  not  an  obser- 
vation made  on  either  part,  and  I  was  left  to  myself. 

"  Well,"  said  I,  "  Fate  has  now  done  its  worst,  and 
Fortune  will  be  weary  at  last  of  tormenting  a  wretch  that 
she  can  sink  no  lower !      Death  has  no  terrors  for  me  ; 

and,  after  death  ! "      But,  even  in  my  misery,  I 

scarcely  gave  a  thought  to  what  might  happen  in  futurity. 
It  might  occasionally  have  obtruded  itself  on  my  mind,  but 
was  quickly  dismissed  :  I  had  adopted  the  atheistical  creed 
of  the  French  Revolution. 

"  Death  is  eternal  sleep,  and  the  sooner  I  go  to  sleep  the 
better  !  "  thought  I.  The  only  point  that  pressed  itself  on 
my  mind  was  the  dread  of  a  public  execution.  This  my 
pride  revolted  at  •,  for  pride  had  again  returned,  and 
resumed  its  empire,  even  in  my  cachot. 

As  the  day  dawned,  the  noise  of  the  carts  and  country 
people  coming  into  the  square  with  their  produce,  roused 
me  from  my  reverie,  for  I  had  not  slept.     The  prison  was 


39?  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

surrounded  by  all  ages  and  all  classes,  to  get  a  sight  of  the 
English  murderer  \  and  the  light  and  the  air  were  stopped 
out  of  each  window  by  human  faces  pressed  against  the 
bars.  I  was  gazed  at  as  a  wild  beast  \  and  the  children, 
as  they  sat  on  their  mothers'  shoulders  to  look  at  me, 
received  a  moral  lesson  and  a  warning  at  my  expense. 

As  a  tiger,  in  his  cage,  wearies  the  eye  by  incessantly 
walking  and  turning,  so  I  paced  my  den  ;  and  if  I  could 
have  reached  one  of  the  impertinent  gazers,  through  the 
slanting  aperture  and  three  foot  wall,  I  should  have 
throttled  him.  "  All  these  people,"  said  I,  "  and  thousands 
more,  will  witness  my  last  moments  on  the  scaffold  !  " 

Stung  with  this  dreadful  thought,  with  rage  I  searched 
in  my  pockets  for  my  penknife,  to  relieve  me  at  one  from 
my  torments  and  apprehensions  ;  and  had  I  found  it,  I 
should  certainly  have  committed  suicide.  Fortunately  I 
had  left  it  at  home,  or  it  would  have  been  buried,  in  that 
moment  of  frenzy,  in  the  carotid  artery ;  for  as  well 
as  others,  I  knew  exactly  where  to  find  it. 

The  crowd  at  length  began  to  disperse  ;  the  windows 
were  left,  except  now  and  then  an  urchin  of  a  boy  showed 
his  ragged  head  at  the  grille.  Worn  out  with  bodily 
fatigue  and  mental  suffering,  I  was  going  to  throw 
myself  along  upon  the  cold  stones,  when  I  saw  the  face 
of  my  own  servant,  who  advanced  in  haste  to  the  window 
of  the  prison,  exclaiming  with  joy — 

"  Courage,  mon  cher  maitre ;  Monsieur  Talbot  n'est  pas 
mort" 

"  Not  dead  !  "  exclaimed  I  (falling  unconsciously  on  my 
knees,  and  lifting  up  my  clasped  hands  and  haggard  eyes 
to  Heaven)  :  "  not  dead  !  God  be  praised.  At  least  there 
is  a  hope  that  I  may  escape  the  crime  of  murder." 

Before  I  could  say  more,  the  mayor  entered  my  cachot 
with  the  officers  of  the  police,  and  informed  me  that  a 
proces-verbal  had  been  held  ;  that  my  friend  had  been  able 
to  give  the  clearest  answers  to  all  their  questions ;  and 
that  it  appeared  from  the  evidence  of  Monsieur  Talbot 
himself,   that  it  was   an    affair   tfhonneur,  fairly  decided ; 


The  Naval  Officer  399 

that  the  brace  of  pistols  found  in  the  water  had  confirmed 
his  assertions ;  "  And  therefore,  Monsieur ,"  continued 
the  mayor,  "  whether  your  friend  lives  or  dies,  tout  a 
ete  fait  en  regie,  et  vous   etes  fibre." 

So  saying,  he  bowed  very  politely,  and  pointed  to  the 
door  ;  nor  was  I  so  ceremonious  as  to  beg  him  to  show  me 
the  way ;  out  I  ran,  and  flew  to  the  apartment  of  Talbot, 
who  had  sent  my  servant  to  say  how  much  he  wished  to 
see  me.  I  found  him  in  bed.  As  I  entered,  he  held  out 
his  hand  to  me,  which  I  covered  with  kisses,  and  bathed 
with  my  tears. 

"  Oh,  Talbot !  "  said  I,  "  can  you  forgive  me  ?  " 

He  squeezed  my  hand,  and  from  exhaustion  let  it  fall. 
The  surgeon  led  me  out  of  the  room,  saying,  "  All 
depends  on  his  being  kept  quiet."  I  then  learned  that 
he  owed  his  life  to  two  circumstances — the  first  was, 
my  having  bound  my  neckcloth  round  the  wound  ;  the 
other  was,  that  the  duel  took  place  below  high-water 
mark.  The  tide  was  rising  when  I  left  him ;  and  the 
cold  waves,  as  they  rippled  against  his  body,  had  restored 
him  to  animation.  In  this  state  he  was  found  by  his 
servant,  not  many  minutes  before  the  flood  would  have 
covered  him,  for  he  had  not  strength  to  remove  out  of 
its  way.  I  ascertained  also  that  the  ball  had  entered  his 
liver,  and  had  passed  out  without  doing  farther  injury. 

I  now  dressed  myself,  and  devoutly  thanking  God  for 
his  miraculous  preservation,  took  my  seat  by  the  bed-side 
of  the  patient,  which  I  never  quitted  until  his  perfect 
recovery.  When  this  was  happily  completed,  I  wrote 
to  my  father  and  to  Clara,  giving  both  an  exact  account 
of  the  whole  transaction.  Clara,  undeceived,  made  no 
scruple  of  acknowledging  her  attachment.  Talbot  was 
requested  by  his  father  to  return  home.  I  accompanied 
him  as  far  as  Calais,  where  we  parted;  and  in  a  few 
weeks  after,  I  had  the  pleasure  of  hearing  that  my  sister 
had  become  his  wife. 

Left  to  myself,  I  returned  slowly,  and  much  depressed 
in  spirits,  to   Quillac's ;    where,  ordering   post-horses,  I 


400  Frank  Mildmay  ;  or, 

threw  myself  into  my  travelling  carriage,  into  which  my 
valet  had,  by  my  orders,  previously  placed  my  luggage. 

"  Where  are  you  going  to,  Monsieur  ?  "  said  the  valet. 

"Judiable!"  said  I. 

"  Mais  les  passeports  ?  "  said  the  man. 

I  felt  that  I  had  sufficient  passports  for  the  journey  I 
had  proposed ;  but  correcting  myself,  said,  "  to  Switzer- 
land." It  was  the  first  name  that  came  into  my  head  % 
and  I  had  heard  that  it  was  the  resort  of  all  my  country- 
men whose  heads,  hearts,  lungs,  or  finances  were  dis- 
ordered. But,  during  my  journey,  I  neither  saw  nor 
heard  any  thing,  consequently  took  no  notes,  which  my 
readers  will  rejoice  at,  because  they  will  be  spared  that 
inexhaustible  supply  to  the  trunk  makers,  "  A  Tour 
through  France  and  Switzerland."  I  travelled  night  and 
day  \  for  I  could  not  sleep.  The  allegory  of  Io  and  the 
gad-fly,  in  the  heathen  mythology,  must  surely  have  been 
intended  to  represent  the  being,  who,  like  myself,  was 
tormented  by  a  bad  conscience.  Like  Io,  I  flew;  and 
like  her,  was  I  pursued  by  the  eternal  gad-fly,  wherever 
I  went,  and  in  vain  did  I  try  to  escape  it. 

I  passed  the  Great  St  Bernard  on  foot.  This  interested 
me  as  I  approached  it.  The  mountains  below,  and  the 
Alps  above,  were  one  mass  of  snow  and  ice,  and  I  looked 
down  with  contempt  on  the  world  below  me.  I  took  up 
my  abode  in  the  convent  for  some  time  ;  my  ample  con- 
tributions to  the  box  in  the  chapel,  made  me  a  welcome 
sojourner  beyond  the  limited  period  allowed  to  travellers, 
and  I  felt  less  and  less  inclined  to  quit  the  scene.  My 
amusement  was  climbing  the  most  frightful  precipices,  fol- 
lowed by  the  large  and  faithful  dogs,  and  viewing  nature 
in  her  wildest  and  most  sublime  attire.  At  other  times, 
when  bodily  fatigue  required  rest,  I  sat  down,  with  morbid 
melancholy,  in  the  receptacle  for  the  bodies  of  those  unfor- 
tunate persons  who  had  perished  in  the  snow.  There  would 
I  remain  for  hours,  musing  on  their  fate  :  the  purity  of  the 
air  admitted  neither  putrefaction,  or  even  decay,  for  a  very 
considerable  time  ;  and  they  lay,  to  all  appearance,  as  if  the 


The  Naval  Officer  401 

breath  had  even  then  only  quitted  them,  although,  on 
touching  those  who  had  been  there  for  years,  they  would 
often  crumble  into  dust. 

Roman  Catholics,  we  know,  are  ever  anxious  to  make 
converts.  The  prior  asked  me  whether  I  was  not  a  pro- 
testant  ?  I  replied,  that  I  was  of  no  religion ;  which 
answer  was,  I  believe,  much  nearer  to  the  truth  than  any 
other  I  could  have  given.  The  reply  was  far  more  favour- 
able to  the  hopes  of  the  monks,  than  if  I  had  said  I  was  a 
heretic  or  a  moslem.  They  thought  me  much  more  likely 
to  become  a  convert  to  their  religion,  since  I  had  none  of 
my  own  to  oppose  to  it.  The  monks  immediately  arranged 
themselves  in  theological  order,  with  the  whole  armour  of 
faith,  and  laid  constant  siege  to  me  on  all  sides ;  but  I  was 
not  inclined  to  any  religion,  much  less  to  the  one  I  despised. 
I  would  sooner  have  turned  Turk. 

I  received  a  letter  from  poor  unhappy  Eugenia — it  was 
the  last  she  ever  wrote.  It  was  to  acquaint  me  with  the 
death  of  her  lovely  boy,  who,  having  wandered  from  the 
house,  had  fallen  into  a  trout-stream,  where  he  was  found 
drowned  some  hours  after.  In  her  distracted  state  of 
mind,  she  could  add  no  more  than  her  blessing,  and  a  firm 
conviction  that  we  should  never  meet  again  in  this  world. 
Her  letter  concluded  incoherently ;  and  although  I  should 
have  said,  in  the  morning,  that  my  mind  had  not  room  for 
another  sorrow,  yet  the  loss  of  this  sweet  boy,  and  the  state 
of  his  wretched  mother,  found  a  place  in  my  bosom  for  a 
time,  to  the  total  exclusion  of  all  other  cares.  She  re- 
quested me  to  hasten  to  her  without  delay,  if  I  wished  to 
see  her  before  she  died. 

I  took  leave  of  the  monks,  and  travelled  with  all  speed 
to  Paris,  and  thence  to  Calais.  Reaching  Quillac's  hotel, 
I  received  a  shock  which,  although  I  apprehended  danger, 
I  was  not  prepared  for.  It  was  a  letter  from  Eugenia's 
agent,  announcing  her  death.  She  had  been  seized  with  a 
brain  fever,  and  had  died  at  a  small  town  in  Norfolk,  where 
she  had  removed  soon  after  our  last  unhappy  interview. 
The  agent  concluded  his  letter  by  saying,  that  Eugenia  had 

M  2  C 


402  Frank  Mildmay  ;  or, 

bequeathed  me  all  her  property,  which  was  very  consider- 
able, and  that  her  last  rational  words  to  him  were,  that  I 
was  her  first  and  her  only  love. 

I  was  now  callous  to  suffering.  My  feelings  had  been 
racked  to  insensibility.  Like  a  ship  in  a  hurricane,  the  last 
tremendous  sea  had  swept  everything  from  the  decks — the 
vessel  was  a  wreck,  driving  as  the  storm  might  chance  to 
direct.  In  the  midst  of  this  devastation,  I  looked  around 
me,  and  the  only  object  which  presented  itself  to  my  mind, 
as  worthy  of  contemplation,  was  the  tomb  which  contained 
the  remains  of  Eugenia  and  her  child.  To  that  I  resolved 
to  repair. 


Chapter    XXIX 

With  sorrow  and  repentance  true, 
Father,  I  trembling  come  to  you. 

Song. 

I  arrived  at  the  town  where  poor  Eugenia  had  breathed 
her  last,  and  near  to  which  was  the  cemetery  in  which  her 
remains  were  deposited.  I  went  to  the  inn,  whence,  after 
having  dismissed  my  post-boy  and  ordered  my  luggage  to 
be  taken  up  to  my  room,  I  proceeded  on  foot  towards  the 
spot.  I  was  informed  that  the  path  lay  between  the 
church  and  the  bishop's  palace.  I  soon  reached  it ;  and, 
inquiring  for  the  sexton,  who  lived  in  a  cottage  hard  by, 
requested  he  would  lead  me  to  a  certain  grave,  which  I 
indicated  by  tokens  too  easily  known. 

"  Oh,  you  mean  the  sweet  young  lady,  as  died  of  grief 
for  the  loss  of  her  little  boy.  There  it  is,"  continued  he, 
pointing  with  his  finger ;  "  the  white  peacock  is  now 
sitting  on  the  headstone  of  the  grave,  and  the  little  boy 
is  buried  beside  it." 

I  approached,  while  the  humble  sexton  kindly  withdrew, 
that  I  might,  without  witnesses,  indulge  that  grief  which 
he  saw  was  the  burthen  of  my  aching  heart.  The  bird 
remained,  but  without  dressing  its  plumage,  without  the 


The  Naval  Officer 


403 


usual  air  of  surprise  and  vigilance  evinced  by  domestic 
fowls,  when  disturbed  in  their  haunts.  This  poor 
creature  was  moulting ;  its  feathers  were  rumpled  and 
disordered  *,  its  tail  ragged.  There  was  no  beauty  in  the 
animal,  which  was  probably  only  kept  as  a  variety  of  the 
species ;  and  it  appeared  to  me  as  if  it  had  been  placed 
there  as  a  lesson  to  myself.  In  its  modest  attire,  in  its 
melancholy  and  pensive  attitude,  it  seemed,  with  its 
gaudy  plumage,  to  have  dismissed  the  world  and  its 
vanities,  while  in  mournful  silence  it  surveyed  the  crowded 
mementoes  of  eternity. 

"  This  is  my  office,  not  thine,"  said  I,  apostrophising 
the  bird,  which,  alarmed  at  my  near  approach,  quitted  its 
position,  and  disappeared  among  the  surrounding  tombs. 
I  sat  down,  and  fixing  my  eyes  on  the  name  which  the 
tablet  bore,  ran  over,  in  a  hurried  manner,  all  that  part 
of  my  career  which  had  been  more  immediately  connected 
with  the  history  of  Eugenia.  I  remembered  her  many 
virtues ;  her  self-devotion  for  my  honour  and  happiness ; 
her  concealing  herself  from  me,  that  I  might  not  blast  my 
prospects  in  life  by  continuing  an  intimacy  which  she  saw 
would  end  in  my  ruin  ;  her  firmness  of  character,  her 
disinterested  generosity,  and  the  refinement  of  attach- 
ment which  made  her  prefer  misery  and  solitude  to  her 
own  gratification  in  the  society  of  the  man  she  loved. 
She  had,  alas  !  but  one  fault,  and  that  fault  was  loving 
me.  I  could  not  drive  from  my  thoughts,  that  it  was 
through  my  unfortunate  and  illicit  connection  with  her 
that  I  had  lost  all  that  made  life  dear  to  me. 

At  this  moment  (and  not  once  since  the  morning  I  awoke 
from  it)  my  singular  dream  recurred  to  my  mind.  The 
thoughts  which  never  had  once  during  my  eventful  voyage 
from  the  Bahamas  to  the  Cape,  and  thence  to  England, 
presented  themselves  in  my  waking  hours,  must  certainly 
have  possessed  my  brain  during  sleep.  Why  else  should 
it  never  have  occurred  to  my  rational  mind  that  the  con- 
nection with  Eugenia  would  certainly  endanger  that  in- 
tended with  Emily  ?     It  was  Eugenia  that  placed  Emily  in 


404  Frank  Mildmay ;  or, 

mourning,  out  of  my  reach,  and,  as  it  were,  on  the  top  of 
the  Nine-Pin  Rock. 

Here,  then,  my  dream  was  explained ;  and  I  now  felt 
all  the  horrors  of  that  reality  which  I  thought  at  the  time 
was  no  more  than  the  effect  of  a  disordered  imagination. 
Yet  I  could  not  blame  Eugenia  -,  the  poor  girl  had  fallen  a 
victim  to  that  deplorable  and  sensual  education  which  I 
had  received  in  the  cockpit  of  a  man-of-war.  I,  I  alone 
was  the  culprit.  She  was  friendless,  and  without  a  parent 
to  guide  her  youthful  steps ;  she  fell  a  victim  to  my  un- 
governed  passions.  Maddened  with  anguish  of  head  and 
heart,  I  threw  myself  violently  on  the  grave  :  I  beat  my 
miserable  head  against  the  tombstones  ;  I  called  with  frantic 
exclamation  on  the  name  of  Eugenia  j  and  at  length  sank 
on  the  turf,  between  the  two  graves,  in  a  state  of  stupor 
and  exhaustion,  from  which  a  copious  flood  of  tears  in 
some  measure  relieved  me. 

I  was  aroused  by  the  sound  of  wheels  and  the  trampling 
of  horses ;  and,  looking  up,  I  perceived  the  bishop's 
carriage  and  four,  with  out-riders,  pass  by.  The  livery 
and  colour  of  the  carriage  were  certainly  what  is  de- 
nominated quiet  ;  but  there  was  an  appearance  of  state 
which  indicated  that  the  owner  had  not  entirely  "  re- 
nounced the  pomps  and  vanities  of  this  wicked  world," 
and  my  spleen  was  excited. 

"  Ay,  sweep  along,"  I  bitterly  muttered,  "  worthy  type 
indeed  of  the  apostles  !  I  like  the  pride  that  apes  humility. 
Is  that  the  way  you  teach  your  flock  to  '  leave  all,  and 
follow  me '  ? "  I  started  up  suddenly,  saying  to  myself, 
"  I  will  seek  this  man  in  his  palace,  and  see  whether  I 
shall  be  kindly  received  and  consoled,  or  be  repulsed  by  a 
menial." 

The  thought  was  sudden,  and,  being  conceived  almost 
in  a  state  of  frenzy,  was  instantly  executed.  "Let  me  try," 
said  I,  "  whether  a  bishop  can  '  administer  to  the  mind 
diseased '  as  well  as  a  country  curate  ?  " 

I  moved  on  with  rapidity  to  the  palace,  more  in  a  fit  of 
desperation  than  with  a  view  of  seeking  peace  of  mind.     I 


The  Naval  Officer  405 

rang  loudly  and  vehemently  at  the  gate,  and  asked  whether 
the  bishop  was  at  home.  An  elderly  domestic,  who 
seemed  to  regard  me  with  astonishment,  answered  in  the 
affirmative,  and  desired  me  to  walk  into  an  ante-room, 
while  he  anuounced  me  to  his  master. 

I  now  began  to  recall  my  scattered  senses,  which  had 
been  wandering,  and  to  perceive  the  absurdity  of  my 
conduct ;  I  was  therefore  about  to  quit  the  palace,  into 
which  I  had  so  rudely  intruded,  without  waiting  for  my 
audience,  when  the  servant  opened  the  door  and  requested 
me  to  follow  him. 

By  what  inscrutable  means  are  the  designs  of  Providence 
brought  about !  While  I  thought  I  was  blindly  following 
the  impulse  of  passion,  I  was,  in  fact,  guided  by  unerring 
Wisdom.  A  prey  to  desperate  and  irritated  feelings,  I 
anticipated,  with  malignant  pleasure,  that  I  should  detect 
hypocrisy — that  one  who  ought  to  set  an  example,  should 
be  weighed  by  me,  and  found  wanting ;  instead  of  which 
I  stumbled  on  my  own  salvation !  Where  I  expected  to 
meet  with  pride  and  scorn,  I  met  with  humility  and  kind- 
ness. When  I  had  looked  around  on  the  great  circle 
bounded  by  the  visible  horizon,  and  could  perceive  no 
friendly  port  in  which  I  might  lay  my  shattered  vessel, 
behold  it  was  close  at  hand  ! 

I  followed  the  servant  with  a  kind  of  stupid  indifference, 
and  was  ushered  into  the  presence  of  a  benevolent-looking 
old  man,  between  sixty  and  seventy  years  of  age.  His 
whole  external  appearance,  as  well  as  his  white  hairs,  com- 
manded respect  amounting  almost  to  admiration.  I  was 
not  prepared  to  speak,  which  he  perceived,  and  kindly 
began. 

"  As  you  are  a  stranger  to  me,  I  fear,  from  your  care- 
worn countenance,  that  it  is  no  common  occurrence  which 
has  brought  you  here.  Sit  down  :  you  seem  in  distress ; 
and  if  it  is  in  my  power  to  afford  you  relief,  you  may  be 
assured  that  I  will  do  so." 

There  was  in  his  manner  and  address  an  affectionate 
kindness  which  overcame  me,     I  could  neither  speak  nor 


406  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

look  at  him ;  but,  laying  my  head  on  the  table,  and  hiding 
my  face  with  my  hands,  I  wept  bitterly.  The  good  bishop 
allowed  me  reasonable  time  to  recover  myself,  and,  with 
extreme  good  breeding,  mildly  requested  that,  if  it  were 
possible,  I  would  confide  to  him  the  cause  of  my  affliction. 

"  Be  not  afraid  or  ashamed,  my  good  lad,"  said  he,  "  to 
tell  me  your  sorrows.  If  we  have  temporal  blessings,  we 
do  not  forget  that  we  are  but  the  almoners  of  the  Lord  :  we 
endeavour  to  follow  his  example  \  but,  if  I  may  judge  from 
appearance,  it  is  not  pecuniary  aid  you  have  come  to  solicit." 

"No,  no,"  replied  I;  "it  is  not  money  that  I  want:" 
but,  choked  with  excess  of  feeling,  I  could  say  no  more. 

"  This  is  indeed  a  more  important  case  than  one  of  mere 
bodily  want,"  said  the  good  man.  "  That  we  might  very 
soon  supply ;  but  there  seems  something  in  your  condition 
which  requires  our  more  serious  attention.  I  thank  the 
Almighty  for  selecting  me  to  this  service  ;  and,  with  his 
blessing,  we  shall  not  fail  of  success." 

Then,  going  to  the  door,  he  called  to  a  young  lady,  who 
I  afterwards  found  was  his  daughter  \  and,  holding  the 
door  a-jar  as  he  spoke,  that  I  might  not  be  seen  in  my 
distress,  said,  "  Caroline,  my  dear,  write  to  the  duke,  and 
beg  him  to  excuse  my  dining  with  him  to-day.  Tell  him 
that  I  am  kept  at  home  by  business  of  importance  ;  and 
give  orders  that  I  be  not  interrupted  on  any  account." 

He  then  turned  the  key  in  the  door  j  and,  drawing 
a  chair  close  to  mine,  begged  me,  in  the  most  persuasive 
manner,  to  tell  him  every  thing  without  reserve,  in  order 
that  he  might  apply  such  a  remedy  as  the  case  seemed  to 
demand. 

I  first  asked  for  a  glass  of  wine,  which  was  instantly 
brought ;  he  received  it  at  the  door,  and  gave  it  to  me 
with  his  own  hand. 

Having  drank  it,  I  commenced  the  history  of  my  life  in 
a  brief  outline,  and  ultimately  told  him  all ;  nearly  as 
much  in  detail  as  I  have  related  it  to  the  reader.  He 
listened  to  me  with  an  intense  and  painful  interest,  question- 
ing me  as   to  my  feelings  on  many  important  occasions ; 


The  Naval  Officer  407 

and  having  at  length  obtained  from  me  an  honest  and 
candid  confession,  without  any  extenuation, 

"  My  young  friend,"  said  he,  "  your  life  has  been  one 
of  peculiar  temptation  and  excess.  Much  to  deplore, 
much  to  blame,  and  much  to  repent  of ;  but  the  state  of 
feeling  which  induced  you  to  come  to  me,  is  a  proof  that 
you  now  only  require  that  which,  with  God's  help,  I  trust 
I  shall  be  able  to  supply.  It  is  now  late,  and  we  both  of 
us  require  some  refreshment.  I  will  order  in  dinner,  and 
you  must  send  to  the  inn  for  your  portmanteau." 

Perceiving  that  I  was  about  to  answer,  "  I  must  take  no 
denial,"  resumed  he.  "  You  have  placed  yourself  under 
my  care  as  your  physician,  and  you  must  follow  my  pre- 
scriptions. My  duty  is  as  much  more  important,  compared 
to  the  doctor's,  as  the  soul  is  to  the  body." 

Dinner  being  served,  he  dismissed  the  servants  as  soon 
as  possible,  and  then  asked  me  many  questions  relative  to 
my  family,  all  of  which  I  answered  without  reserve.  He 
once  mentioned  Miss  Somerville ;  but  I  was  so  overcome, 
that  he  perceived  my  distress,  and,  filling  me  a  glass  of 
wine,  changed  the  subject. 

If  I  thought  that  any  words  of  mine  could  do  justice  to 
the  persuasive  discourses  of  this  worthy  bishop,  I  would 
have  benefited  the  world  by  making  them  public ;  but  I 
could  not  do  this  •,  and  I  trust  that  none  of  my  readers  will 
have  so  much  need  of  them  as  I  had  myself.  I  shall,  there- 
fore, briefly  state,  that  I  remained  in  the  palace  ten  days, 
in  the  most  perfect  seclusion. 

Every  morning  the  good  bishop  dedicated  two  or  three 
hours  to  my  instruction  and  improvement ;  he  put  into  my 
hands  one  or  two  books  at  a  time,  with  marks  in  them, 
indicating  the  pages  which  I  ought  to  consult.  He  would 
have  introduced  me  to  his  family ;  but  this  I  begged,  for  a 
time,  to  decline,  being  too  much  depressed  and  out  of 
spirits  •,  and  he  indulged  me  in  my  request  of  being  allowed 
to  continue  in  the  apartments  allotted  to  me. 

On  the  seventh  morning,  he  came  to  me,  and  after  a 
short  conversation,  informed  me  that  business  would  re- 


408  Frank  Mildmay;  or, 

quire  his  absence  for  two  or  three  days,  and  that  he  would 
give  me  a  task  to  employ  me  during  the  short  time  he 
should  be  gone.  He  then  put  into  my  hand  a  work  on  the 
sacrament.  "  This,"  said  he,  "  I  am  sure  you  will  read 
with  particular  attention,  so  that  on  my  return  I  may  invite 
you  to  the  feast."  I  trembled  as  I  opened  the  book. 
"  Fear  not,  Mr  Mildmay,"  said  he ;  "I  tell  you,  from 
what  I  see  of  your  symptoms,  that  the  cure  will  be 
complete." 

Having  said  this,  he  gave  me  his  blessing,  and  departed. 
He  returned  exactly  at  the  end  of  three  days,  and  after  a 
short  examination,  said  he  would  allow  me  to  receive  the 
sacrament,  and  that  the  holy  ceremony  should  take  place  in 
his  own  room  privately,  well  knowing  how  much  affected 
I  should  be.  He  brought  in  the  bread  and  wine  ;  and 
having  consecrated  and  partaken  of  them  himself,  agreeably 
to  the  forms  prescribed,  he  made  a  short  extempore  prayer 
in  my  behalf. 

When  he  had  done  this,  he  advanced  towards  me,  and 
presented  the  bread.  My  blood  curdled  as  I  took  it  in  my 
mouth  ;  and  when  I  had  tasted  the  wine,  the  type  of  the 
blood  of  that  Saviour,  whose  wounds  I  had  so  often  opened 
afresh  in  my  guilty  career,  and  yet  upon  the  merits  of 
which  I  now  relied  for  pardon,  I  felt  a  combined  sensation 
of  love,  gratitude  and  joy — a  lightness  and  buoyancy  of 
spirits,  as  if  I  could  have  left  the  earth  below  me,  dis- 
burdened of  a  weight  that  had,  till  then,  crushed  me  to 
the  ground.  I  felt  that  I  had  faith — that  I  was  a  new 
man — and  that  my  sins  were  forgiven ;  and,  dropping  my 
head  on  the  side  of  the  table,  I  remained  some  minutes  in 
grateful  and  fervent  prayer. 

The  service  being  ended,  I  hastened  to  express  my 
acknowledgments  to  my  venerable  friend. 

"  I  am  but  the  humble  instrument,  my  dear  young 
friend,"  said  the  bishop ;  "  let  us  both  give  thanks  to  the 
almighty  Searcher  of  hearts.  Let  us  hope  that  the  work 
is  perfect — for  then,  you  will  be  the  occasion  of  '  joy  in 
heaven.'     And  now,"  continued  he,  "let  me  ask  you  one 


The  Naval  Officer  409 

question.  Do  you  feel  in  that  state  of  mind  that  you 
could  bear  any  affliction  which  might  befall  you,  without 
repining  ? " 

"  I  trust,  Sir,"  answered  I,  "  that  I  could  bear  it,  not 
only  cheerfully,  but  thankfully ;  and  I  now  acknowledge 
that  it  is  good  for  me  that  I  have  been  in  trouble." 

"  Then  all  is  right,"  said  he  \  "  and  with  such  feelings 
I  may  venture  to  give  you  this  letter,  which  I  promised  the 
writer  to  deliver  with  my  own  hand." 

As  soon  as  my  eye  caught  the  superscription,  "  Gracious 
Heaven !  "  exclaimed  I ;  "  it  is  from  my  Emily." 

"  Even  so,"  said  the  bishop. 

I  tore  it  open.  It  contained  only  six  lines,  which  were 
as  follows : — 

"  Our  mutual  kind  friend,  the  bishop,  has  proved  to  me 
how  proud  and  how  foolish  I  have  been.  Forgive  me, 
dear  Frank,  for  I  too  have  suffered  much  ;  and  come  as 
soon  as  possible  to  your  ever  affectionate 

"  Emily." 

This,  then,  was  the  object  of  the  venerable  bishop's 
absence.  Bending  beneath  age  and  infirmity,  he  had 
undertaken  a  journey  of  three  hundred  miles,  in  order  to 
ensure  the  temporal  as  well  as  eternal  welfare  of  a  perfect 
stranger — to  effect  a  reconciliation,  without  which  he  saw 
that  my  worldly  happiness  was  incomplete.  I  was  after- 
wards informed,  that  notwithstanding  the  weight  of  his 
character  and  holy  office,  he  had  found  Emily  more 
decided  in  her  rejection  than  he  had  anticipated ;  and  it 
was  not  until  he  had  sharply  rebuked  her  for  her  pride 
and  unforgiving  temper,  that  she  could  be  brought  to 
listen  with  patience  to  his  arguments.  But  having  at 
length  convinced  her  that  the  tenure  of  her  own  hopes 
depended  on  her  forgiveness  of  others,  she  relented, 
acknowledged  the  truth  of  his  remarks,  and  her  undimin- 
ished affection  for  me.  While  she  made  this  confession, 
she  was  in  the  same  position  before  the  bishop,  that  I  was 
when  I  received  her  letter — on  my  knees,  and  in  tears. 

M  2D 


410     Frank  Mildmay;  or,  The  Naval  Officer 

He  gave  me  his  hand,  raised  me  up,  "  And,  now,  my 
young  friend,"  said  he,  "  let  me  give  you  one  caution.  I 
hope  and  I  trust  that  your  repentance  is  sincere.  If  it  be 
not,  the  guilt  must  rest  on  your  head ;  but  I  trust  in 
God  that  all  is  as  it  should  be.  I  will  not,  therefore, 
detain  you  any  longer :  you  must  be  impatient  to  be  gone. 
Refreshment  is  prepared  for  you :  my  horses  will  take  you 
the  first  stage.  Have  you  funds  sufficient  to  carry  you 
through  ?  for  it  is  a  long  journey,  as  my  old  bones  can 
testify." 

I  assured  him  that  I  was  sufficiently  provided;  and, 
expressing  my  thanks  for  his  kindness,  wished  that  it  was 
in  my  power  to  prove  my  gratitude.  "  Put  me  to  the 
test,  my  lord,"  said  I,  "  if  you  possibly  can." 

"Well,  then,"  replied  he,  "I  will:  when  the  day  for 
your  union  with  Miss  Somerville  is  fixed,  allow  me  to 
have  the  pleasure  of  joining  your  hands,  should  it  please 
God  to  spare  me  so  long.  I  have  removed  the  disease ; 
but  I  must  trust  to  somebody  else  to  watch  and  prevent 
a  relapse.  And  believe  me,  my  dear  friend,  however 
well-inclined  a  man  may  be  to  keep  in  the  straight  path, 
he  gains  no  little  support  from  the  guidance  and  example 
of  a  lovely  and  virtuous  woman." 

I  promised  readily  all  he  asked  ;  and  having  finished  a 
slight  lunch,  again  shook  hands  with  the  worthy  prelate, 
jumped  into  my  carriage,  and  drove  off.  I  travelled  all 
night ;  and  the  next  day  was  in  the  society  of  those  I 
loved,  and  who  had  ever  loved  me,  in  spite  of  all  my  per- 
verseness  and  folly. 

A  few  weeks  after,  Emily  and  I  were  united  by  the 
venerable  bishop,  who,  with  much  emotion,  gave  us  his 
benediction ;  and  as  the  prayer  of  the  righteous  man 
availeth  much,  I  felt  that  it  was  recorded  in  our  favour  in 
Heaven.  Mr  Somerville  gave  the  bride  away.  My  father, 
with  Talbot  and  Clara,  were  present ;  and  the  whole  of 
us,  after  all  my  strange  vicissitudes,  were  deeply  affected 
at  this  reconciliation  and  union. 

THE    END. 


PRINTED  BY 

TURNBULL  AND  SPEARS, 

EDINBURGH. 


$slSfc 


